It was a year of so near yet so far for RR, who will finish last if they lose on Tuesday

Himanshu Agrawal19-May-20253:14

Cricinformed – CSK’s worst top-order show

Big picture: RR’s last chance to not finish lastIf not for the rearranged final leg of IPL 2025, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) would have been hosting Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Chennai on Tuesday. Instead, the teams will now meet in Delhi. Which meant that there was one question on everyone’s minds: Have we already seen the last of MS Dhoni at Chepauk?These two sides occupy the bottom two spots in the points table. While there is pride to play for, they will also have one eye on the future.Despite the forgettable campaigns, there have been some positives for both CSK and RR this season. Young and explosive batters like Dewald Brevis, Ayush Mhatre, Urvil Patel and Vaibhav Suryavanshi have given hope and a glimpse into the future of these franchises.Related

Purple and Orange caps: Noor, Jaiswal could grab top spots on Tuesday

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Tuesday will also be RR’s final game of the season, and looking back, their bowlers might realise they lacked execution at times, while their batters will count the number of missed opportunities in tight finishes. It was a year of so near yet so far for RR, who will finish last if CSK beat them. The only time RR finished last was in 2020, when the IPL was an eight-team competition.Form guideChennai Super Kings WLLLL (last five matches, most recent first)
Rajasthan Royals LLLWLIn the spotlight: Noor Ahmad and Riyan ParagCSK have found a match-winner in left-arm wristspinner Noor Ahmad. His 20 wickets are the second-most so far this season. Four of those came in CSK’s previous match, against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), when Noor helped turn it around with two wickets in the middle overs and death overs each. Ten bowlers have at least 15 wickets this season, and Noor’s average of 17.25 is the best among them. At just 20, he surely is a long-term option for CSK.Riyan Parag has had a good outing with the bat this season•AFP/Getty Images

Riyan Parag, who has led RR every time Sanju Samson was out injured this season, is just 10 runs away from tallying 400. If he gets there, it will be the second successive year he passes that landmark. He is only 23 and made his T20I debut for India last year after a solid IPL. With a home T20 World Cup coming up early next year, Parag will be hoping he can wrap this season up with a notable score and help his chances for his first global tournament.Team news and probable XIIsBrevis, Noor, Devon Conway and Matheesha Pathirana, CSK’s four overseas players who played against KKR, are the only ones available for them now. CSK have used 22 players so far this season – the most by any team – with only two more games remaining.Chennai Super Kings: 1 Ayush Mhatre, 2 Urvil Patel, 3 Devon Conway, 4 Ravindra Jadeja, 5 Dewald Brevis, 6 Shivam Dube, 7 R Ashwin, 8 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 9 Anshul Kamboj, 10 Noor Ahmad, 11 Khaleel Ahmed, 12 Matheesha PathiranaVaibhav Suryavanshi and Yashasvi Jaiswal were impressive against PBKS•BCCI

Samson pushed himself down to No. 3 against Punjab Kings on his return to fitness after an abdominal injury. That allowed the 14-year-old Suryavanshi to continue to open the batting with Yashasvi Jaiswal. It remains to be seen whether teenager Lhuan-dre Pretorius, also a top-order batter who was flown in as an injury replacement, will get a chance.Rajasthan Royals: 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 Vaibhav Suryavanshi, 3 Sanju Samson (capt & wk), 4 Riyan Parag, 5 Shimron Hetmyer, 6 Dhruv Jurel, 7 Shubham Dubey, 8 Wanindu Hasaranga, 9 Kwena Maphaka, 10 Tushar Deshpande, 11 Akash Madhwal, 12 Fazalhaq FarooqiThe big questionAmong the 37 bowlers to have taken at least 300 wickets in all T20s, Wanindu Hasaranga leads the averages with 17.21. But at 34.40, Hasaranga’s averaged has doubled, and he has bagged only ten wickets in 37 overs.The numbers are even worse for his CSK counterpart R Ashwin. He has just five wickets to show in eight games, having taken them at 48.40 each. The last time Ashwin had fewer wickets in an IPL season was in his debut year in 2009.Pitch and conditionsThe Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi has hosted five games this season, with the average score batting first being 192. Gujarat Titans hunted down 200 with all ten wickets standing against Delhi Capitals on Sunday at that ground. With short boundaries and the possibility of dew, expect another high-scoring game on what is expected to be a hot Tuesday evening.Stats and triviaCSK and RR have faced each other in 31 matches so far, with CSK leading by only 16-15. CSK have had the worst-performing top order this season. Their top three batters have a combined average of only 23.68, while striking at 140.74. Both numbers are the lowest by any team this season. RR, on the other hand, have been the worst bowling side this season. Their bowling average (44.84) and economy rate (10.02) are the worst among all sides.

Faf du Plessis, captaining Delhi Capitals in Axar Patel’s absence due to a bad flu, won the toss and chose to bowl. Speaking about Axar at the toss, du Plessis said, “Unfortunate for him, really sick the last two days. Bad flu. We wish him all the best. Will definitely miss him today.”Madhav Tiwari and Mukesh Kumar have replaced T Natarajan and Axar for DC. Tiwari, a seam-bowling allrounder from Madhya Pradesh, was part of DC’s XI in their abandoned game against Punjab Kings but will be on debut as that game will be replayed on Saturday. KL Rahul has been named in the Impact Players bench after being hit on the knee in training on match eve and is most likely to be subbed in for the second innings.DC will be out of the playoffs race with a loss today. MI, on the other hand, will go through with a win. Hardik Pandya, MI’s captain, said he would have liked to bowl as well. Mitchell Santner replaces Corbin Bosch. One of Ashwani Kumar and Karn Sharma, who were part of MI’s previous game, will miss out tonight.So far this season, the average score batting first at the Wankhede stadium has been 174 for 7 and the chasing team has won four out of the six games.Mumbai Indians XI: Rohit Sharma, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Will Jacks, Suryakumar Yadav, N Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (capt), Naman Dhir, Mitchell Santner, Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult, Jasprit BumrahMI Impact Players bench: Ashwani Kumar, Corbin Bosch, Karn Sharma, Raj Bawa, Satyanarayana RajuDelhi Capitals XI: Faf du Plessis (capt), Abishek Porel (wk), Sameer Rizvi, Ashutosh Sharma, Tristan Stubbs, Vipraj Nigam, Madhav Tiwari, Dushmantha Chameera, Kuldeep Yadav, Mustafizur Rahman, Mukesh KumarDC Impact Players bench: KL Rahul, Sediqullah Atal, Karun Nair, Tripurana Vijay, Manvanth Kumar

While it hasn’t been the perfect start to the season for Arsenal, it’s been a pretty good one.

Mikel Arteta’s side have had to play Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Newcastle United in the Premier League, and have come out with seven points out of a possible 12 from those specific games.

Add to that thumping wins over Nottingham Forest and Leeds United, and a good 2-0 win away to Athletic Bilbao in the Champions League, and it’s hard not to be optimistic about the campaign ahead.

However, there have still been a few problems here and there, whether it be mounting injuries or a perceived lack of threat, especially when it comes to the club’s new talisman, Viktor Gyokeres.

It’s been a mixed start to life in England for the Swede, which isn’t helped by a former Arsenal striker outperforming him on the continent.

Gyokeres' start to the season with Arsenal

Now, before the pitchforks and torches come out, it’s worth stating that, despite what some would have you believe online, Gyokeres has not had a terrible start to his Arsenal career, far from it.

However, it’s equally true that, so far anyway, the former Sporting CP star has not been the monstrous goal machine some had thought or hoped he’d be. After all, this is a player who found the net on over 50 occasions last term in Portugal.

He is officially the best striker in the world, so the Ballon d’Or awards would have you believe, anyway, so this certainly wasn’t a poor use of funds over the summer.

However, while he scored a wonderful goal and a penalty against Leeds, and then got himself another against Forest, it would be fair to say that the 27-year-old has struggled somewhat in the big games.

Granted, a significant reason he hasn’t been able to find the back of the net in the big games is the lack of service he’s received from his teammates, but even then, the very best strikers in world football can create their own chances.

His performance against Newcastle was a bit of a mixed bag as well.

While he held up the ball well at times, made some good runs and even won a penalty, which was then overturned, he still failed to do the most crucial thing: score.

Moreover, there were more than a few moments in which he got his feet stuck under himself, or took a touch too many and lost the ball in an advantageous position.

Yet, with all that said, it’s still early in the season, and as his teammates get more and more comfortable with his style of play, there is every chance he becomes that goal machine so many thought he’d be.

However, as things stand, he is currently being outperformed by a former Arsenal star whom Arteta let leave for free.

The former Arsenal star outperforming Gyokeres

While there are probably a few Arsenal players who could fit this label at the moment, the star in question is Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

The Gabonese striker joined the Gunners back in the 2018 winter window, and to say he justified his £56m price tag would be a massive understatement.

The former Borussia Dortmund star would go on to become the fastest player in the club’s history to score 50 goals; he’d play a crucial role in their 2020 FA Cup triumph and even wear the captain’s armband at points.

However, after the goals began to dry up, and he fell out with Arteta over discipline and his off-the-pitch behaviour, his contract was terminated by mutual agreement in January 2022, which allowed him to join Barcelona for free in the same month.

He’d only stay in Spain for half a season before spending a dreadful year back in London with Chelsea, after which he made his way to Marseille, and once again regained his out-of-this-world ability.

In a single campaign in the South of France, the former Arsenal star scored 30 goals and provided 11 assists in 51 appearances, but instead of staying on, he made a big-money move to the Saudi Pro League.

Unsurprisingly, the “world-class” striker, as dubbed by Behdad Eghbali, also performed brilliantly in the Middle Eastern state, racking up an impressive tally of 24 goal involvements in 36 games for Al-Qadsiah.

Fortunately, the Laval-born monster felt the urge to return to European football this season and rejoined Marseille in the summer.

Since his return to the French giants, the 36-year-old has once again shown his quality, scoring three goals and providing one assist in just six appearances, totalling 337 minutes.

Aubameyang vs Gyokeres in 25/26

Season

Aubameyang

Gyokeres

Appearances

6

8

Minutes

337′

572′

Goals

3

3

Assists

1

0

Goal Involvements per Match

0.66

0.37

Minutes per Goal Involvement

84.25′

190.66′

All Stats via Transfermarkt

In other words, he is averaging a goal involvement every 1.5 games, or every 84.25 minutes, which, unfortunately for Arteta and Co, means he’s currently outperforming Gyokeres, and by some margin.

For comparison’s sake, the Swede’s three goal involvements in eight appearances, totalling 572 minutes, come out to an average of one every 2.66 games, or every 190.66 minutes.

Ultimately, it would probably be untrue to claim that Aubameyang is currently a better striker than Gyokeres, but Arsenal fans will be hoping the former Sporting star can start putting the ball in the back of the net more regularly as the season goes on.

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Rangers have made some high-profile signings over the years, with the likes of Paul Gascoigne and Brian Laudrup going on to becoming Ibrox legends after heading to Glasgow.

Mikel Arteta, Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Ronald de Boer were just some other big names who decided to move to Scotland, but there could have been a lot more if the Gers got their way.

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From Lionel Messi to Ronaldo, Rangers nearly signed some legends of the game.

10 star players Rangers almost signed 10 Lionel Messi

Shortly before Lionel Messi made his Barcelona debut, Rangers and manager at the time Alex McLeish were alerted to the Argentine talent.

McLeish’s son, Jon, found Messi on Football Manager, with the Gers trying but failing to sign him on loan back in 2003.

9 Andres Iniesta

At the same time Rangers were trying to sign Messi, they also almost brought midfield maestro Andres Iniesta to Ibrox.

The Spaniard was a teenager at the time and nearly headed to Scotland on loan for regular game time as Rangers looked for their Barry Ferguson replacement. Unfortunately, Iniesta would get his chance in the Barca first-team shortly after and wouldn’t look back.

8 Ronaldo

Brazilian striker Ronaldo is arguably the biggest what if case when it comes to near transfer misses for Rangers.

The forward was wanted by the Gers, Lazio and Inter Milan in 1997 when he was still a Barcelona player. Ronaldo even had an offer from Rangers and former owner David Murray, but headed to Inter Milan instead.

7 Alan Shearer

Before becoming a goalscoring machine for Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United, Alan Shearer was a Southampton player.

The Premier League’s all-time record scorer caught the eye of Rangers boss Walter Smith in the early 1990s, however, those at Ibrox couldn’t persuade Shearer to head to Scotland.

6 Dennis Bergkamp

Smith certainly had an eye for a future attacking star, as, along with Shearer, also wanted to bring Dennis Bergkamp to Rangers in the 1990s.

Bergkamp was an Inter Milan player at the time, and after Rangers failed to put a proposal together, the skilful Dutch forward signed for Arsenal in a £7.5m deal and would go on to become a Gunners legend.

Games

422

Goals

120

Assists

116

Trophies

10

5 Samuel Eto'o

After struggling to break through into Real Madrid’s first team from their academy, Samuel Eto’o found a home with Mallorca, securing a permanent move to the Spanish side in 2000.

The Cameroon striker would star for his new side and was wanted by McLeish in 2002. Rangers missed out on Eto’o, who, two years later, would sign for Barcelona, where he won three La Liga titles and two Champions League trophies.

4 Jaap Stam

It wasn’t just attacking stars who nearly signed for Rangers, with central defender Jaap Stam targeted by Dick Advocaat after he took over as Ibrox manager in 1998.

Stam was a PSV Eindhoven regular under Advocaat, but he couldn’t bring the towering centre-back with him to Scotland, with Sir Alex Ferguson and Man Utd winning the race.

3 Robin van Persie

A Rangers move for Robin van Persie was extremely close in 2003, with a deal even agreed with Feyenoord for the Dutch forward to move to Ibrox for just £3m.

Van Persie was persuaded to head to Ibrox by Advocaat, however, Rangers failed to raise the funds and the striker would sign for Arsenal a year later.

2 Emmanuel Petit

Rangers found themselves in a bidding war with Arsenal for Emmanuel Petit back in 1997, and if it wasn’t for the Gunners, the French midfielder could have easily been a major signing for the Gers.

Former owner Murray once lifted the lid on how close Rangers were to bringing Petit to Ibrox.

1 Luka Modric

Rangers could have signed Ballon d’Or winner Luka Modric in the early stages of his career for just £3.5m, however, those at Ibrox didn’t have the funds.

Former Rangers assistant Ally McCoist was actually sent to watch Dinamo Zagreb right-back Vedran Corluka but was stunned at what he saw from Modric and urged the club to get a deal done.

انتقد كيكي سانشيز فلوريس، مدرب نادي أتلتيكو مدريد وإشبيلية السابق، تصرفات نجم نادي ريال مدريد، فينيسيوس جونيور، خلال لقاء الكلاسيكو أمام برشلونة يوم الأحد الماضي بالدوري الإسباني للدرجة الأولى، موضحًا أن ما فعله الدولي البرازيلي خلال تلك المواجهة قد أضر بصورة الميرنجي.

فينيسيوس أثار الجدل خلال لقاء ريال مدريد وبرشلونة بالدوري الإسباني يوم الأحد الماضي بالليجا، حيث اعترض وبشدة على تبديله في شوط المباراة الثاني ولم يصافح المدرب تشابي ألونسو، قبل أن يعود مرة أخرى للتواجد على دكة البدلاء.

ولم يكتف فينيسيوس بهذا التصرف، وإنما دخل في شجار مع جناح برشلونة، لامين يامال، عقب نهاية المباراة، قبل أن يتدخل لاعبو الفريقين لفض هذا الشجار.

وقال فلوريس في تصريحات نقلتها صحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو”: ”قضية فينيسيوس شاملة، وتصل إلى إدارة النادي نظرًا لتأثيرها على صورة ريال مدريد، إنها تضر بصورة النادي أمام ملايين الناس، ويجب اتخاذ إجراء”.

اقرأ أيضًا .. لاعب برشلونة السابق مدافعًا عن لامين يامال: ركزوا معه في أرض الملعب

كما انتقد فلوريس رد فعل فينيسيوس مع زميله رودريجو والذي دخل بدلًا منه إلى أرض الملعب في الكلاسيكو، حيث أضاف: “التجاهل تجاه رودريجو الذي يدخل بديلًا والذي تتشارك معه كل شيء يوميًا ودائمًا، يؤثر على اللاعبين، وهذا أمر يجب على القادة أو اللاعبين في ريال مدريد حله”.

وأوضح: ”هناك قلة احترام للمدرب تثير التساؤلات ليس فقط حول التبديل بل حول كل ما سيحدث بعده، لأنه لو كان كوندي قد سيطر على الكرة جيدًا وسجل، لكانت النتيجة 2-2، وكان ذلك سيخلق انقسامًا حول ما إذا كان تشابي أو فينيسيوس على حق”.

واختتم فلوريس في حديثه: “ريال مدريد على عكس برشلونة لا يفقد التواصل مع اللاعبين أبدًا، وهذا فرق كبير بين الناديين، لأن برشلونة حتى وقت قريب جدًا، كان يفقد التواصل مع اللاعبين. لا يوجد شيء أفضل من أن يتم التواصل باستمرار بين اللاعبين والنادي”.

Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso provided a key update on Kylian Mbappe's fitness ahead of the club's La Liga fixture against Getafe this weekend. The star forward picked up an injury while on international duty with France. He limped off the pitch late on during Les Bleus' clash with Azerbaijan and missed their World Cup qualifier against Iceland after being released from the French squad.

• Mbappe suffered ankle knock against Azerbaijan

  Mbappe's participation in their first World Cup qualifier of the October international break was hanging in the balance due to an ankle injury he sustained while playing for Madrid against Villarreal in La Liga. Despite the knock, the France captain took to the the field against Azerbaijan last Friday but he suffered another ankle knock and had to be subbed off in the 83rd minute.

  The attacker was subsequently released from the France squad so that he could work on his recovery back at Madrid's facilities. A statement from the French Football Federation read: "Upon the French delegation's return to Clairefontaine, the French team captain spoke with Didier Deschamps. The national coach has confirmed his absence. Kylian Mbappe has been released to his club and will not be replaced."

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• (C)Getty Images
  

  Alonso provides key update on Mbappe

  Ahead of Los Blancos' upcoming La Liga match against Getafe on Sunday, manager Alonso provided a key update on Mbappe's condition. Speaking to reporters at the pre-match press conference, the Spanish coach said: "Yes, Kylian Mbappe is back and can also start against Getafe."

  Mbappe's recovery comes as welcome news for the Spanish giants, who will aim to occupy the top spot in the league ahead of their Clasico fixture against arch-rival Barcelona next week. The French star is currently enjoying a remarkable scoring run, having scored in his last 10 consecutive matches for both club and country. His recent scoring streak includes goals against Ukraine, Real Sociedad, Kairat, and Espanyol, with the 26-year-old hitting the net in multiple competitions. He also broke the deadlock in France's 3-0 win against Azerbaijan with his 17th goal in 13 appearances for club and country this season, which also marked his 53rd international goal for France, meaning he is now only four goals away from Olivier Giroud's record as Les Bleus' all-time top scorer.

• Mbappe wants to help Alonso win many trophies

  Alonso created shockwaves in Europe after his scintillating stint at Bayer Leverkusen, where he helped the German side win the Bundesliga title in the 2023/24 season. Following his brief stint as a manager at Leverkusen, the Spaniard returned to Real Madrid, where he had previously played with distinction. Mbappe, who is in fine form, lavished praise on the manager while claiming the Madrid players want to help Alonso with as many trophies as possible.

  Speaking about Ancelotti and Alonso's managerial style, Mbappe had to : "They're different, two generations of coaches who have crossed paths. Ancelotti is one of the best in history. When you arrive, you're happy to play for him; he's always close to the players. Xabi wants to help a lot, but he's younger. He has more need and desire to prove himself with Real Madrid, to achieve things in his first big opportunity at the best club in the world. We're going to try to help him win as many titles as possible. It's an important year for Real Madrid and the national team. We're starting to understand what the manager wants from us, but we have to improve to get where we want to be."

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  Real Madrid facing hectic fixture list

  Alonso will have to rotate his squad as much as possible in the next few matches, as they face a hectic fixture list that involves playing four matches in a span of 13 days, starting this Sunday. The fixture list also includes a key Champions League game against Juventus on October 22 and El Clasico in La Liga four days later. Madrid are currently at the top of the table with 21 points from eight matches. 

  The Real Madrid boss says he's taking one game at a time: "For me, the next one is always the toughest when I'm going through a block. This one with fewer games because we've had a clean week, but we want to keep making progress, being consistent in all competitions. We're thinking about what's coming next, which is Getafe. We're not looking any further ahead. We're aware of what's coming, obviously, but what we've talked about internally is tomorrow's opponent, which will be very demanding. So far, we've been very consistent and reliable, but we can't let our guard down."

Leeds United will hope they can consolidate themselves as a Premier League club this season, with another promotion hunt on the cards to get up to the top-flight, not the most attractive proposition.

Instead, Daniel Farke’s Whites will pray they can comfortably stay up, despite all the weighty pressure against them, and become a top-flight regular again, much like their heyday in the 90s when Champions League football was even on the menu.

The German is working against his own label as an unproven manager at the very top, too, with a relegation blotting his otherwise sparkling CV in England when at the helm of Norwich City.

Still, the early signs suggest Leeds could be here to stay, with the Whites in a promising 11th spot at the time of writing, after a Sean Longstaff-led effort clinched a 2-2 draw against AFC Bournemouth last time out.

Longstaff's promising start at Leeds

Longstaff nearly held the individual honour of being Leeds’ match-winner against the Cherries, with his fierce effort that cannoned in off the post, gifting his new employers a slim 2-1 lead.

Unfortunately, Bournemouth had other ideas late on when Eli Kroupi scored a last-gasp equaliser, but Andoni Iraola’s men snatching a share of the points shouldn’t detract too much from Longstaff’s sublime showings all season long.

Up against their South Coast visitors, the former Newcastle United man would amazingly notch up seven key passes.

One of those passes saw Joe Rodon head home from an inch-perfect corner kick delivery – while also showing off a fiery side to his game when winning a high ten duels to keep plugging away up against the likes of former Leeds man Tyler Adams, lining up for the away team.

It will just be up to the brand new Leeds number 8 to keep up this sterling, having often fallen victim to recurring injury issues at St James’ Park that saw him fade into the background under Eddie Howe.

Chalkboard

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

For just £12m, however, Leeds look to have struck gold on an instant bargain. Yet, it could be argued that the Whites gave up an even bigger talent than Longstaff last summer, when parting ways with a midfielder for a mere £3.7m.

Former Leeds star is now better than Longstaff

Leeds have fallen foul of many blunders in recent transfer windows, with their summer activity before their relegation out of the top-flight come the end of the 2022/23 season seeing them purchase many a half-hearted presence.

Faces such as Rasmus Kristensen, Luis Sinisterra, and the aforementioned Adams would all down their tools after their demise to the Championship was confirmed, with Marc Roca also falling into this bracket of failed signings who then shied away from the intense battles to follow in the EFL.

The seven-time Spain international would only go on to make 36 first-team appearances in West Yorkshire before then packing his bags to head to his native country initially on loan, after the Whites crashed out of the promised land.

He did show signs of his top-flight quality for Leeds, even if he did sour his relationship with the club when exiting at the first possible chance after relegation, with one goal and two assists being notched up by the 28-year-old in Premier League action sticking out, alongside winning a high 4.1 duels per game

Games played

26

14

Goals scored

2

2

Assists

2

2

Touches*

56.7

47.2

Accurate passes*

38.1 (85%)

32.9 (88%)

Ball recoveries*

5.7

3.6

Total duels won*

3.7

2.4

Former Leeds favourite Tony Dorigo would even hail Roca as a “wonderful” talent when displaying these bursts of quality, with the Real Betis number 21 further validating that his stint in England was an off-spell by starring in La Liga consistently.

Indeed, when looking at the table in greater detail, it’s clear that Roca is a similar level talent to Longstaff or even greater, with 5.7 ball recoveries on average sticking out during his debut season back on Spanish soil. Longstaff, despite his energetic Yorkshire beginnings, has only averaged 2.7 to date.

He even reminded English crowds of what he is capable of recently when assisting Antony’s leveller in the Europa League against Nottingham Forest.

With the Spaniard also capable of slotting in at left-back or as a centre-back if needed, it could well be now that Leeds look back on the sale of the “outstanding” – as he has been labelled by journalist Jose Rodriguez for his efforts in La Liga – Catalonian as one they regret, especially for such a low amount at £3.7m.

Still, the proof will be in the pudding as to whether Roca is a stronger talent than Longstaff or not come the end of the season, as the Newcastle-born number eight attempts to make his showing against Bournemouth a commonplace expectation.

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“We are the same but different as well,” Bhuvneshwar Kumar says about his RCB fast-bowling partners Josh Hazlewood and Yash Dayal

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Is is time to start dreaming for RCB fans?

Bhuvneshwar Kumar might be a little understated, but he is a bonafide IPL superstar. No quick bowler has taken more wickets than his 193 in the tournament, and only Yuzvendra Chahal (219 at the time of writing) stands in front of him in the overall list. And he has found ways to stay relevant in a fast-changing game by “being proactive – to be a step ahead of the batter”.His new/old team Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) are having a season to remember, and part of the reason is the combination Bhuvneshwar has formed with Josh Hazlewood and Yash Dayal: between them, they have 40 wickets so far. RCB have also been the second-most economical bowling side at the death (overs 17 to 20) in IPL 2025, conceding runs at 10.23, a shade behind Mumbai Indians’ (MI) 10.22.”I am back in RCB after 16 years and I am very happy to be back,” Bhuvneshwar said in a video released by the franchise. “From the 2008-09 or 2010 season to now in 2025, things are very different. I had come in as a young player and now I have come back with so much more experience.Related

Bhuvneshwar has 'the perfect answer' for DC on tricky Delhi pitch

“If you talk about Yash and Josh, and the three of us – we are the same but different as well. If we talk about the aspects that are similar, the three of us can swing it. And then if you look at Josh Hazlewood, he has the height, and Yash is a left-arm pacer, which helps create a different angle altogether. And the best part is that all three of us can bowl at any stage of the game, and we have done it as well. These qualities help complement each other a lot.”And if you look back in the season, there have been times that I have not done well, but they have backed me up, or if someone hasn’t had a good day, the rest of the bowlers have stepped up. So we are complementing each other and it is a great sign.”Bhuvneshwar has had two good outings in Bengaluru this season, returning identical figures of 2 for 26 against Delhi Capitals (DC) and Punjab Kings (PBKS), but both of those came in defeats for RCB when they were in the middle of a horror run at home. The big effort came in Delhi when he played a big role in RCB’s win by sending back KL Rahul, Ashutosh Sharma and Tristan Stubbs on his way to 3 for 33. Rahul and Ashutosh were felled in the 17th over and Stubbs in the 20th. In the 11 overs Bhuvneshwar has bowled at the death this season, he has five wickets and an economy rate of 10.09.”Death bowling is like an instinct. It depends on what is the situation of the match and what you are thinking as well,” Bhuvneshwar, the only bowler to have won the Purple Cap in successive seasons – 2016 and 2017 – said. “When there are team meetings, you plan things in a particular way. But a lot of times, you do it differently on the ground, because that instinct kicks in.”Sometimes there is a very normal situation going on, but you have an instinct that the batter is going to do something different. So that’s when we call it being proactive – to be a step ahead of the batter. There are times when it doesn’t work, but as long as you are proactive and you are getting the batter to do the things you want, you will be on top of the game.”

Newcastle United already have Nick Pope and Aaron Ramsdale fighting it out for the number one jersey, but Eddie Howe has now been offered the chance to sign another figure to provide goalkeeping competition.

Newcastle see off Wolves with Woltemade winner

After a difficult start to the Premier League campaign and having to undergo a lengthy search for a striker in the wake of Alexander Isak’s exit, Newcastle claimed their first victory of the season on Saturday against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Establishing himself as a new hero of the St James’ Park faithful, Nick Woltemade scored the only goal of the match to give the Geordies a precious three points on home soil.

Speaking post-match, Howe came in for high praise from the Germany international, who illustrated his gratitude to the manager after galvanising his side to claim a vital win after a slow start to the season.

Woltemade said: “I was just here for four days now, so everything was new for me. I was putting that bit away and I was focusing on myself today. I think the coach already gave me such a good feeling, so I felt good on the pitch. I knew what to do and I guess you saw today everybody knew what they have to do. This win was really important.”

Barcelona await next for Newcastle in their much-anticipated first Champions League fixture, and they will feel their solidity at the back can give them half a chance of stopping Lamine Yamal and company on Tyneside.

Three clean sheets in four Premier League encounters is a solid return for Nick Pope, who was linked with a summer exit to both Leeds and Manchester United.

Nevertheless, Newcastle appear to be looking at life after the Three Lions international and have now been offered a shock chance to sign an up-and-coming stopper.

Newcastle offered surprise chance to sign Sheffield United's Michael Cooper

According to Chronicle Live, Newcastle have been offered the chance to sign Sheffield United goalkeeper Michael Cooper by intermediaries, with the approach coming as a surprise due to his recent dip in form.

Conceding 12 goals in the Blades’ first five Championship fixtures, the 25-year-old has recorded a save percentage rate of 62.5%, per Fotmob. Following an extremely disappointing start to the campaign for his club, Ruben Selles has now been sacked at Bramall Lane.

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Despite this, Cooper has made 20 saves in that time period and is also on the radar of West Ham United and Everton, becoming an appealing homegrown option on the market as his contract is set to expire in 2026.

After Odysseas Vlachodimos left to join Sevilla, Newcastle are said to be keeping a ‘close eye’ on his situation, likely as a consequence of 33-year-old Pope coming towards the twilight of his career.

While he wouldn’t be a first choice immediately at St James’ Park, Cooper would add another layer of talent to the goalkeeping group and could potentially be a long-term successor to Pope if he can rediscover his form.

Tottenham Hotspur fans may not have endured the success they may have wanted over recent years, but they have truly been blessed with an array of attacking talent.

Harry Kane emerged through the club’s academy system before making the jump into the first-team and having a huge impact on their goal tally in the Premier League.

He scored 280 times for the Lilywhites – making him their record goalscorer, with 213 of his efforts coming in England’s top-flight, which sees him sit behind just Alan Shearer in the list.

Gareth Bale was another player who caught the eye in North London, often nailing the right-hand side as his own with his stupendous long-range efforts.

Both players departed the club for huge money, with both fees being over £80m, but it’s undoubtedly left the side short in key moments over the last couple of seasons.

However, Thomas Frank will be hoping that one player in his ranks will be able to replicate the success of the aforementioned duo during his tenure at the helm.

How Kudus has fared since moving to Spurs

In an attempt to bolster the options available to him in wide areas, Frank completed the deal of winger Mohammed Kudus from West Ham United during the summer window, subsequently forking out £55m for his signature.

The Ghanaian plied his trade across the capital over a two-year spell, having the experience needed to make an immediate impact for Spurs in North London.

He may only be a handful of games into his Premier League career for the Lilywhites, but he’s already adhered himself to the fanbase – playing a part in nearly 50% of their goals to date.

The 25-year-old has notched four assists in his first five league outings, with the latter half of his goal contributions both coming in the 2-2 draw at Brighton on Saturday afternoon.

His pace, combined with his evident end product, is a combination that could provide the needed quality in the first-team squad if they are to build on the Europa League triumph.

However, despite his early success after his big-money move, the club may regret the sale of one player who has since thrived after leaving a couple of years ago.

The former Spurs star who is outperforming Kudus

The Ange Postecoglou reign at Spurs was certainly one that was topsy-turvy, with numerous moments of magic glossing over the dismal spell in the Premier League.

He was responsible for ending their 17-year trophy drought, but also registering their worst ever top-flight finish in terms of losses, falling to a defeat on 22 occasions out of a possible 38 outings.

However, his departure was confirmed during the off-season, bringing his two-year spell in North London to a close, leading to Frank’s appointment for the 2025/26 campaign.

His decision-making was called into question at time, even making bold decisions with transfers – subsequently releasing attacker Ivan Perišić in the summer of 2024.

The Croatian originally joined the Lilywhites on a free transfer in the summer of 2022, joining from Inter Milan and having a huge impact during his debut campaign in England.

He scored once and registered 12 assists in the 2022/23 campaign – the most of any player in the squad – but his progress would be hugely disrupted in his second campaign at the club.

Perisic suffered an ACL injury just weeks into the season, resulting in just six appearances in 2023/24, which saw him brutally released by Postecoglou that summer.

Luuk de Jong

22

Ismael Saibari

22

Guus Til

21

Noa Lang

21

Ivan Perišić

17

Malik Tillman

14

Ricardo Pepi

13

Johan Bakayako

10

However, the 36-year-old has recaptured his best form at PSV, with the winger, who’s been labelled “world-class” by one analyst, registering 26 combined goals and assists across all competitions last campaign.

Even in 2025/26, he’s continued to produce the magic he did for the Lilywhites, scoring once and registering four assists in his first eight league games for PSV.

Such a tally is higher than that of Kudus, subsequently highlighting how impressive Perisic has been lately – especially after suffering such a serious injury in North London.

Questions will be asked about the quality of opposition he’s coming up against compared to the Ghanaian, but there’s no denying the hierarchy made a mistake in allowing him to depart the club.

At 36, Perisic is still proving all the doubters wrong, arguably in the form of his career, and managing to produce some simply spectacular figures within the final third.

As for Kudus, he will be hoping that he can continue his impressive start to life under Frank, with the winger having the opportunity to catapult the club to further glory.

Had Perisic remained at the club, he may have struck an excellent partnership with the former, massively increasing the chances of success given the figures produced away from North London.

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