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West Indies captain clinches four-wicket win with 16th ODI century

Vithushan Ehantharajah03-Dec-2023

Shai Hope pulls through the leg side•AFP/Getty Images

So much for a white-ball reboot. Three weeks after their disastrous World Cup campaign came to an end, England suffered defeat to West Indies in the first ODI in Antigua, trumped by four wickets thanks to a magnificent 109 not out from Shai Hope.That they reached their target of 326 with seven balls to spare was down to Romario Shepherd’s 48 from just 28 deliveries, coming at a time when the hosts looked to be circling the drain. West Indies were 213 for 5 in the 39th over, seemingly having wasted an unbeaten opening stand of 104 between Alick Athanaze and Brandon King. Shepherd, having overturned an lbw decision against him with just three runs to his name, breathed life into the chase with his powerful cameo.By the time he departed lbw to Gus Atkinson, the equation was a more palatable 24 from 17. Hope, who had found his six-hitting touch as Shepherd’s understudy in their 89-run stand (from just 51 balls), finished the match with three sixes in four balls, all to the leg side. The second took him to a 16th ODI century from 82 deliveries, before immediately clearing the boundary for the seventh and final time to send the crowd wild.Related

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Sam Curran was on the receiving end, not just of those final strikes but brutal treatment throughout the final stretch, leaving him nursing 0 for 98 from 9.5 overs – the worst ODI figures for an Englishman. Earlier on, his 38 had boosted England to 325 all out, with Harry Brook’s 71 the standout in an innings littered with unconverted starts.At the halfway stage, England’s total – the highest achieved at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium – looked to have them comfortably out in front. But the hosts now possess that record by a single run, having clinched it in emphatic fashion.Not for the first time in the last three months, Jos Buttler cut a forlorn figure, and registered another failure with the bat when dismissed for three. Having called correctly at the toss, his decision to bat first looked vindicated, particularly as Salt and Will Jacks raced to 77 for no loss after 8.2 overs.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

By then, Hope had turned to Gudakesh Motie with the dual purpose of slowing the pace of the ball and rate of scoring. It did not take long for both to come to pass, and it was the start of what would turn out to be a big day for the West Indies captain. He would go on to pass 5,000 ODI runs in just his 114th innings, equalling Sir Vivian Richards’ record as the fastest West Indian to the figure, with the man himself in situ at the ground bearing his name.Motie, a left-arm orthodox spinner, removed Salt in his second over, albeit with a short, wide delivery that should have been hit anywhere but the hands of Keacy Carty at cover. Seven deliveries (and no runs) later, Alzarri Joseph, who had changed ends for Motie’s introduction, produced a delivery with extra bounce and seam to remove Jacks for 26, caught behind by Hope, making it 77 for 2.After Ben Duckett had inadvertently paddled legspinner Yannic Cariah into his leg stump, Zak Crawley and Brook managed 71 between them, taking the score to 181 for 4 midway through the 30th over. Their stand of 71 should have ended earlier; Crawley was dropped appallingly on 30 by Motie after skying an unconvincing slog-sweep off Cariah, before edging the leggie between keeper and slip on 33.Brook’s late call of “no” when Crawley then dropped and ran into the covers saw him run out by Athanaze. And when Buttler gloved a reverse sweep to first slip to give Motie his second dismissal, continuing a grim streak since the start of the World Cup of just 141 runs across 10 innings, the impetus looked to be draining from the innings.Alick Athanaze celebrates his half-century•Getty Images

Brook, with the help of Liam Livingstone, ensured that wasn’t the case as the pair exchanged four sixes between them. The first from Brook ended a 33-ball wait for a boundary, as Shepherd was pulled high over deep midwicket, taking England beyond 200. A single off the next delivery moved the Yorkshireman to 50 from 58 for a third half-century in the format.He began the next over from Cariah with a powerful slap-sweep behind square leg to clear the fence once more. Livingstone finished the over with back-to-back sixes to ensure 23 was ransacked from the 38th.Livingstone’s demise – lbw to a grubber from Shepherd – was as good an indicator as any of the changing nature of this surface and suggested the tourists were in good shape with the 232 they had in the 39th over. And though Brook walked off after failing to force Shepherd’s slower ball beyond the reach of Joseph at mid-off – moments after Athanaze had almost pulled off a spectacular catch at backward point to remove him on 70 – a reinforced tail was able to provide the necessary final flourish.Curran and Brydon Carse set about a blitz of 66 from 38 to lift the score beyond 300, to eventually set West Indies 326 for victory in the first of this three-match series.If the late flourish looked to have lifted England comfortably above par, the start from Athanaze and King showed just how necessary it had been, as they got the chase up and running with 104 for the first wicket.Athanaze’s hooked six off Curran in a first over that went for 11 signalled his intent at least, finishing the powerplay with his second – another hook, this time off Atkinson – as West Indies reached 55 for no loss after 10 overs.Rehan Ahmed kept England competitive through the middle overs•Getty Images

The languid left-hander had 41 of them at the time, eventually making it through to a second ODI half-century with an imperious cut off Carse at the start of the 15th over. That was the first of three boundaries in four balls – pulled in front of square, then another threaded behind point – as the Durham quick struggled for the right length.But just as in the first innings, spin wrestled back control for the fielding side. Rehan Ahmed trapped a sweeping Athanazer lbw from around the wicket, then Livingstone bowled King seven deliveries later. By the time Keacy Carty’s stodgy 16 off 39 was brought to an end by a scuttler from Carse (lbw) at the start of the 30th over, the required run rate had ticked to 8.70.Hope was in his usual accumulation mode, and as Shimron Hetmyer came and went for 32, and Sherfane Rutherford’s debut ODI knock lasted three deliveries, including a first-ball six and a second-ball DRS reprieve for lbw, before he was caught at deep square leg, giving Rehan his second wicket for impressive figures of 2 for 40, West Indies were up against it.Hope, who had fetched Rehan straight down the ground amid the Rutherford drama to move to a 40th fifty-plus score from 51 deliveries, was always going to need a helping hand, and there was no guarantee it would come from Shepherd. The best of the 29-year-old’s batting has primarily come on the franchise circuit, with just one international half-century in 35 white-ball innings.Perhaps fuelled by his reprieve after being given lbw on the field to a Curran slower delivery, he puffed his chest out and showed clear method in his malice. After seeing out Rehan’s final over, and with Livingstone already through his 10 overs with 1 for 50, a diet of seamers awaited on the back nine, with 101 to get. Using the pace on the ball, he and Hope picked their targets. Carse was taken for 11 in the 42, then Curran for 19 in the 43rd, with two slower balls heaved down the ground and over midwicket.Curran was then taken for 15 in the 45th, this time Hope punishing a slower ball to the wind-assisted leg side, before he sent Carse the same way as the 47th went for 17. Atkinson held his own to go full and straight and pin Shepherd, but the damage had been done.With 19 needed from 12, Hope took the opportunity to end the match sooner rather than later. Curran, clearly struggling, served up a full toss that was devoured for 93 metres over wide long-on, then followed a dot with an equally juicy length ball dispatched into the stands. Once Hope’s subdued century celebrations were done, he blitzed a short ball back towards the same stand to really get the party started.For England, there is yet more wound-licking to be done. Though this XI featured just six players who were on deck for the dismal World Cup campaign, the manner of this defeat feels on a par with some of those out in India. Worst of all, it has been inflicted by a team who were not even good enough to get there in the first place.

Boland picked up two key wickets including Khawaja leaving Queensland 106 for 5 at stumps after Victoria declared at 300 for 7 on day two

AAP17-Nov-2023

Scott Boland celebrates the wicket of Usman Khawaja•Getty Images

Victoria’s generous declaration has paid dividends as Queensland’s top-order faltered and Usman Khawaja fell late during the Sheffield Shield clash at the MCG.Victoria declared at 300 for 7 soon after lunch on day two. In reply, Queensland slumped to 42 for 3 before limping to 106 for 6 at stumps, with Jimmy Peirson and Jack Wildermuth both unbeaten.Khawaja put up stiff resistance with 31 off 101 balls, but he was out five minutes before stumps when he edged paceman Scott Boland behind. The late scalp has put Queensland well and truly on the back foot in the bottom-of-the-table clash.Boland was the standout bowler with figures of 2 for 25 from 17 overs, while Fergus O’Neill and Will Sutherland also tied down Queensland’s batters.Victoria resumed play on Friday at 201 for 4, but Sutherland only added two runs to his overnight score before shouldering arms to a Gurinder Sandhu delivery that jagged back and struck the top of off stump. Sam Harper fell for a 17-ball duck to reduce Victoria to 213 for 6.Campbell Kellaway dug in to help steady the ship making 48 from 159 balls, but he was sent packing when he was also bowled after shouldering arms.Mitchell Perry and O’Neill both made 33 not out in an important 61-run stand before Victoria declared. Wildermuth was the pick of the Queensland bowlers with 3 for 49 off 27 overs, while Liam Guthrie chipped in with 2 for 72.Queensland’s innings started poorly, with Matt Renshaw edging O’Neill to first slip. The Bulls went from 37 for 1 to 42 for 3 when Joe Burns and Bryce Street failed to capitalise on solid foundations.Jack Clayton became the next batter to waste a steady start when he was trapped LBW by debutant spinner Doug Warren for 21.”It’s pretty much what dreams are made of,” Warren said about his maiden first-class wicket at the MCG. “It’s what everyone wants to do.”Warren was spurred on by a parochial supporter group in the crowd.”They were carrying on like pork chops today,” he said with a smile. “I’ve got a couple of hooligans from school, a couple of uni mates, and then the old man and a couple of his friends – they’ve had a couple in the bar.”They’re a bit intoxicated, but having a bit of fun.”

Andy Balbirnie’s 72 was not enough as Ireland finished 34 short of their target of 186

Abhimanyu Bose20-Aug-2023Ruturaj Gaikwad scored a half-century but Rinku Singh stole the limelight with a swashbuckling innings at the death as India sealed the series by beating Ireland by 33 runs in the second T20I.Gaikwad and Sanju Samson put on 71 to stabilise India after they lost two wickets in the powerplay. Then, with Ireland applying the squeeze following their departures, Rinku – batting for the first time in international cricket – took centre stage to help India pump 42 runs off the last two overs and get to a total of 185, which proved too much for Ireland.Andy Balbirnie fought a lone battle for Ireland with a 51-ball 72 but it wasn’t enough as Prasidh Krishna, Jasprit Bumrah and Ravi Bishnoi spearheaded India’s defence with two wickets apiece.After India were put in on a sunny afternoon in Malahide, Gaikwad and Yashasvi Jaiswal got going in the second over. Gaikwad nudged Josh Little behind square for the first boundary of the match before Jaiswal pulled successive deliveries for four and six.Jaiswal drove Barry McCarthy for another four before Craig Young got him for the second consecutive match by cramping him with a short ball. Jaiswal went for the pull nonetheless, and ended up caught on the boundary by Curtis Campher running to his left from deep midwicket and reaching over his head.McCarthy then struck in similar fashion as Tilak Varma skied a pull to deep square leg.Gaikwad stepped up the tempo soon after the powerplay, taking on the short ball. He first pulled legspinner Ben White in front of midwicket and then dispatched Young on either side of the midwicket fielder off consecutive balls in the next over.Samson then played an impeccable on-drive off Adair before ramping up the pressure on Little, hitting him for three fours and a six in the 11th over as the left-arm quick ended up conceding 48 in his four overs. Samson drove him over cover for a one-bounce four and then slapped a length ball over extra-cover. He then steered a low, wide full-toss past the keeper to make it 4, 4, 4. A dot off the next ball was only momentary respite for Little, who then went short only to be pulled behind square for six.Josh Little conceded 48 off his four overs•Sportsfile via Getty ImagesBut Young pulled things back with a five-run 12th over before Samson dragged on off White, to bring Rinku to the crease.Rinku swept White for his first four in the 15th over before Gaikwad brought out a sweep of his own to bring up his half-century. Gaikwad then smacked him down the ground for six to take India to 129 for 3, leaving them poised for a potential 200-plus score.McCarthy outfoxed Gaikwad with a slower ball in the 16th over, however, and Ireland began stifling India with good use of the short ball and slower ones. India could score just 14 runs off the 16th, 17th and 18th overs.A below-par score on a high-scoring ground looked likely, with both Rinku and Dube struggling to break the shackles. Then Rinku did what he had done so many times in IPL 2023 to earn his India call-up.He carved McCarthy over backward point for four in the 19th over and hoicked the next ball, a slower one, over long-on for his first six. McCarthy then bowled two wides on the trot and changed his angle to go around the wicket, but it did little to stop Rinku’s charge as he carted him over cover for another six.Adair started the final over with a leg-stump full toss that Dube helped behind square for the first of two sixes. The next ball was in the slot and Dube swung it far into the stands over deep midwicket. Rinku then duly pulled a length ball for another six, the crowd’s cheers growing louder with each hit.A top-edge off an attempted pull saw Rinku walk back for 38 off 21, but by then he had done enough to get India to a more-than-fighting total.Chasing 186, Ireland saw out Jasprit Bumrah’s first over, although Balbirnie survived an lbw appeal that returned umpire’s call at the stumps after India reviewed the not-out decision.Sanju Samson scored a fluent 40 off 26 balls•Sportsfile via Getty ImagesBalbirnie got going off the next over, hitting Arsheep Singh for two boundaries on either side of the wicket.But Prasidh broke the game open in the next over, using the short-ball tactic that had worked well for Ireland. He got Paul Stirling to top-edge a pull that Arshdeep claimed, running in from fine leg to send the Ireland captain back for a four-ball duck. Two balls later, Lorcan Tucker miscued a pull towards mid-on, where Gaikwad held on running across from midwicket, despite a mini-collision with Dube.Ravi Bishnoi completed a good powerplay for India by cleaning Harry Tector up with a wrong’un. At 31 for 3, Ireland already needed more than 11 an over.Balbirnie briefly raised their hopes, sweeping Washington Sundar for back-to-back fours in the seventh over, and Campher got going with a slog-swept Bishnoi for a six off his next over. But a quiet over from Dube amped up the pressure and Campher spooned a catch to backward point off Bishnoi to leave Ireland reeling at 64 for 4 after ten overs.But Balbirnie kept going, hitting Dube for two sixes and sweeping Bishnoi for four either side of a four-run 12th over bowled by Bumrah. Balbirnie brought up his tenth T20I fifty in the 13th, which also saw Dockrell hit Bishnoi down the ground for six.Ireland now needed 92 from 42 balls. Gaikwad dropped a regulation chance of Dockrell off Washington’s bowling in the 14th over, but Dockrell was soon walking back after a mix-up with Balbirnie.Balbirnie, who had pulled Prasidh for six right before Dockrell’s dismissal, gave Arshdeep similar treatment but the left-arm quick came back by throwing it up wide and getting the opener to edge behind.That all but sealed India’s win as McCarthy failed to recreate his heroics from the first T20I, holing out off a Bumrah slower ball. Mark Adair hit a few lusty blows at the end, but by then the contest was over. Bumrah eventually had him caught in the deep as he closed out the game with a wicket maiden.

Jonny Bairstow admitted that the occasion and atmosphere at Edgbaston are “what we live for” as professional cricketers, after marking his first innings for England in nearly ten months with a run-a-ball 78 on a frenetic opening day of the 2023 Ashes.Though Bairstow made his return to the Test team against Ireland at Lord’s earlier this month, his innings on Friday was his first visit to the crease for England since breaking his leg in a freak golfing accident in September last year.He arrived at a critical juncture too, with England wobbling on 176 for 5 following the dismissal of Ben Stokes. However, he instigated another wave of attack in a 121-run partnership with his fellow Yorkshireman, Joe Root, and by the time he was stumped off Nathan Lyon, he had shown more than just a glimpse of his stellar form from 2022 than had made his recall non-negotiable.”It was great fun being back out there, to be honest,” Bairstow told Sky Sports. “It took a little bit of time to just get my rhythm, just to get my hands and my feet going. But I think when you come in off a lay-off like I have, that’s going to take a bit of time. But when you’re ready, you try and give it your best shot and, if it’s there to hit, you try and give it a whack.””Giving it a whack” was very much the order of another extraordinary day of England’s new-look Test approach. The tone was set by Zak Crawley’s blazing drive for four off Pat Cummins’ first ball of the series, and continued at such a chaotic rate that Stokes was able declare the innings at 393 for 8 after 78 overs, leaving Australia four overs to survive before the close.”Over the last 12 months, I don’t think that’s a change to what it’s been like, to be honest with you,” Bairstow said. “If the ball has been there to hit, the lads have tried to hit it. Sometimes you nick it, sometimes you miss it, sometimes you middle there. It’s part and parcel of the game that we’re fortunate to play.”The intent that the lads showed – from, obviously, Zak’s shot first ball of the day … I just heard it. I was like, wow, it’s like a cannon … it’s a stark contrast to when we were Down Under the last time.”So it’s been a good day. The crowd’s been amazing, the lads have been on good form, really enjoying it, and that’s exactly what we spoke about leading into the game.Related

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“The lads are out there with a smile on their face,” he added. “You can see that at the start of the day, whether it’s in the warm-ups, or that first ball, and right to the end.”International cricket is completely different to county cricket, and the occasion and everything is what we live for. And when your beans are going and your hands are going, that’s exactly what I love. That’s what it’s all about.”England’s typically high tempo of 5.03 runs per over meant that, for the fourth time in his captaincy, Stokes was able to declare England’s first innings inside 100 overs. However, with Root unbeaten on 118 and looking good for several more on a true wicket, it was arguably the most contentious closure yet. Bairstow, however, insisted the faith that this team has in each other’s roles means that they are confident that the bowlers will get stuck in on day two.”It was a bold call, it was a good call,” Bairstow said. “There will be conversations around it, but no-one likes going out there with 20 minutes and four overs, when you’ve got Stuart Broad and Ollie Robinson running in at the end of a day that has been a bit of a toil.”The biggest thing is being patient and relentless on a length,” he added. “They’re going hit the middle of the bat because they’re good players. But we’re able to build pressure through our fields, through the ruthless lengths that we’re able to hold, with the three guys [Broad, Robinson and James Anderson] that have got such a wealth of experience behind them.”Whether the pitch is flat, whether it’s swinging, whether it’s seaming, I’ve no doubt that the guys will be able to call upon all those experiences, and all those times that it has potentially been flat. We will turn up in the morning and we’ll see again. They had to start tonight, and they’ve got to start again, and it does take a couple of balls to get in.”With 11 wins in their last 13 Tests, however, England are riding a rare high in Test cricket, and Bairstow admitted that the confidence that that breeds could be critical for the rest of the contest.”There’s different pressures, but when you go in on the back of wins, and of people in some form, there’s a huge amount of trust within each other to go out and do their own jobs individually, which then collectively comes together as a unit.”Throughout the whole last 12 months, that’s exactly what it’s been about. It’s about trust in each individual to go out and play their individual way.”Such are the reasons why Moeen Ali was tempted back to Test cricket after an absence of 21 months. His first innings back was a predictably hard-swinging knock of 18 from 17 with two fours and a big six down the ground. And, on a dry pitch that has already earned Lyon four first-innings wickets, his most important role could yet be to come.”That’s the brilliant thing about Mo,” Bairstow said. “He comes in with that freedom and the thought process of, right, let’s go and try and change the game. Let’s go and try and win a game.”That’s the whole ethos of this team. How can we have those individual performances that enable you to go and win games? Not just go and compete, but go and actually take the game on, in order to put you and the team into a position that you can potentially force a result.”

MatériaMais Notícias

Grêmio e Cruzeiro medem forças no próximo domingo, pela Série B. Ídolo do Imortal e também ex-jogador da Raposa, o técnico Renato Gaúcho confia que ambos os times voltarão à elite ao fim da temporada. Em entrevista ao Correio do Povo, o treinador analisou o desempenho das equipes e criticou o nível da Série B.

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>Histórico de confusão: Kylian Mbappé já foi expulso de treino

Renato espera, porém, que Grêmio e Cruzeiro tenham “aprendido a lição”.

-Ano que vem, vão estar na primeira divisão, sem dúvida alguma. Mas espero que tenham aprendido. Com os erros a gente aprende, espero que tenham aprendido para que não voltem para a segunda divisão. Subir eles vão, até porque a segunda divisão está muito fraca, mas muito fraca mesmo, eu tenho acompanhado alguns jogos – disse Renato, que não prevê mudanças no grupo dos times que conquistarão acesso à elite.

– Muito difícil os primeiros quatro perderam a vaga para a primeira divisão. Não acredito que algum clube tire a vaga deles. É bom pro futebol brasileiro, clube grande, grandes torcidas precisam estar na primeira divisão. Espero que tenham aprendido a lição- completou.

Renato é ídolo no Grêmio, mas também teve passagem marcante pelo Cruzeiro.

-Joguei quatro meses e meio no Cruzeiro, ganhei dois títulos, é um clube muito grande, como o Grêmio também é. Triste ver essas duas potências, com essas duas grandes torcidas estarem na série B, mas quando as coisas não andam bem no clube, a conta chega e infelizmente chegou a conta, tanto para o Grêmio, quanto para o Cruzeiro. Dois clubes multicampeões, que ninguém imaginaria estar na segunda divisão – comentou.

A partida em questão colocará, frente a frente, o líder isolado da competição que soma 53 pontos, caso do Cruzeiro, enquanto o Grêmio está em terceiro lugar, com 43.

Em caso de triunfo gremista, além de diminuir a distância para o ponteiro da competição, a equipe dirigida por Roger Machado assume a vice-liderança, já que o atual ocupante do posto, o Bahia, já jogou na rodada e empatou em 1 a 1 com o Londrina.

Manchester City have failed to see the best out of some of their finest players this season.

Erling Haaland may have scored 28 goals in all competitions, but there have been spells where he has failed to demonstrate his true talents.

Elsewhere, Phil Foden is another player who has struggled at times. The Englishman has registered 16 goal contributions – ten goals and six assists – yet only three goals came in the Champions League against Sporting CP, Sparta Prague and Slovan Bratislava.

When compared to his peers in the Premier League, Foden fails to rank in the top 55% for successful take-ons, progressive carries, touches in the opposition penalty area and progressive passes received per 90 this season.

This highlights how much he has regressed this term, and it appears as though City are approaching the end of a glorious era under Pep Guardiola.

Even Kevin De Bruyne hasn’t quite been at his best throughout the entire campaign, failing to inject the spark that City have so often required in 2025/26.

Could this be his last one at the Etihad? Only time will tell.

Kevin De Bruyne’s season in numbers for Man City

During the early part of the season, a hamstring injury meant he played just four of their opening ten Premier League matches.

Overall, the Belgian maestro has started just 18 of his 29 games for the club in all competitions, scoring four goals and recording seven assists.

When compared to his fellow attacking midfielders in the Premier League this season, De Bruyne ranks in the bottom 79% for successful take-ons, the bottom 54% for progressive carries (3.03) and ranks in the top 45% for touches in the opposition penalty area per 90.

Hardly the statistics that the supporters have been used to over the years, and it could finally be time for the 33-year-old to think about his future.

Indeed, his contract expires this summer, meaning City could release him for nothing. Much will depend on what happens over the next few weeks, but considering he hasn’t been as productive as in previous seasons, combined with injury problems, De Buryne’s best days are behind him.

Guardiola may look to build a new side around the youngsters he signed in the winter transfer window, as well as those who have progressed through the academy in recent years.

City have let a few youngsters go in the past, however, with several finally showcasing their talents elsewhere. Players such as Morgan Rogers, Roméo Lavia, Jadon Sancho and James Trafford moved away from City in order to secure regular game time at other clubs.

All four have gone on to impress significantly over the years. But could someone who only departed the Etihad in 2020 be their biggest regret?

Man City let "England's next superstar" leave for £0

Now outperforming De Bruyne in the here and now, a certain Jamie Gittens is the player they must regret letting go all those years ago.

He made just two appearances for the City U18 side during the 2019/20 campaign, scoring once, before, like Jadon Sancho, he made the move to Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2020.

His first two seasons were spent with the youth side, registering 11 goals and five assists, sufficiently impressing boss Marco Rose, who gave him his Bundesliga debut towards the end of the 2021/22 season.

That summer, he signed a three-year contract extension due to take effect on his 18th birthday, and it has been a wise move by Dortmund, especially with his recent rise.

He was introduced to the senior squad slowly, making 20 first-team appearances throughout the 2022/23 season, before this increased to 34 games last term.

The youngster chipped in with two goals and five assists for the club in all competitions while even making a brief appearance in the Champions League final against Real Madrid, although they lost the tie 2-0.

It was all good experience for the 20-year-old as he aims to follow in the footsteps of his compatriots Sancho and Jude Bellingham by using Dortmund as a stepping stone in order to secure a big-money move away from Germany.

Gittens’ stats in the Bundesliga this season

Goals

7

Assists

3

Big chances created

6

Successful dribbles per game

2.9

Key passes per game

0.8

Shots per game

1.8

Via Sofascore

Media outlet Get German Football News dubbed the winger as “England’s next superstar” back in September following an impressive start to the season and he has been so good throughout 2024/25, that the London-born starlet is even outperforming De Bruyne in a number of key performance metrics, proving how good a player he really is.

How Jamie Gittens compares to Kevin De Bruyne

De Bruyne has registered 11 goal contributions for City this term. For Dortmund, Gittens has scored 11 goals and grabbed four assists for the club in all competitions, with four goals coming in the Champions League.

When compared to his positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the previous 365 days, Gittens ranks in the top 6% for progressive carries (5.93), the top 2% for successful take-ons (3.76) and in the top 5% for carries into the penalty area (3.21) per 90, highlighting how effective he has been in the final third, despite his tender years.

In comparison, De Bruyne ranks in the lowest 62% for progressive carries (2.92), the lowest 94% for successful take-ons (0.67), and the top 2% for carries into the opposition penalty area (1.05) when compared to his own peers across Europe’s top five leagues during the same time period.

These contrasting statistics clearly show that Gittens has been the most effective player in dangerous zones for their club and there is no doubt he will secure a move to a massive club sooner rather than later.

City must rue letting him go for nothing back in 2020, especially with his current rise to superstardom. Arsenal are thought to be mulling over a bid worth £83m for the speedster.

It takes some impressive performances to consistently outperform a player such as De Bruyne, but Gittens is doing it and then some this season.

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Posts ByRobbie Walls Mar 9, 2025

Glasgow Rangers suffered their third consecutive defeat at Ibrox for the first time since 2012 after Motherwell secured a 2-1 win on Saturday afternoon.

The game was Barry Ferguson’s first game in charge at Ibrox and he was looking for his side to continue the momentum from the 4-2 comeback victory over Kilmarnock in midweek.

The Steelmen were two goals up after half an hour, however. Cyriel Dessers reduced the arrears after half-time, but the damage was done.

Several members of the starting XI performed poorly, with a few looking like they were on autopilot as the summer transfer window looms on the horizon. Unless things improve sooner rather than later, it might be a summer of discontent at Ibrox ahead of the 2025/26 season.

Ferguson was so dismayed by the first-half performance over the weekend that he made three changes at the break. Robin Propper, Hamza Igamane and Ianis Hagi were all brought off following an underwhelming 45 minutes.

The first two were poor, but it was the performance of Hagi that was the most disappointing, failing to offer much of a threat in the final third during the opening 45 minutes.

Ianis Hagi's game in numbers vs Motherwell

Since making his long-awaited return to the first team back in October after a contract dispute threatened to derail his Ibrox career, Hagi has contributed fairly well.

His goal against Celtic at the beginning of the year in a 3-0 victory was a key highlight, while the Romanian has registered 11 goal contributions – four goals and seven assists – across 23 games for the Gers this term.

Deployed mainly on the left wing in recent weeks, Ferguson continued this theme, unleashing Hagi on the left of his four-man midfield in a 4-4-2 system.

Accurate passes

James Tavernier (67)

Key passes

Mohamed Diomande and Vaclav Cerny (3)

Tackles

Kai Andrews (4)

Shots on target

Mohamed Diomande (2)

Ground duels won

Callum Slattery and Jefte (7)

The formation didn’t exactly bring out the best in the 26-year-old, who failed to link up well with either Igamane or Dessers in the final third.

During the opening 45 minutes, Hagi completed only 19 passes while taking 44 touches as he struggled to make much of an impact in a different system than he was used to.

Going forward, Hagi delivered ten crosses into the opposition penalty area, yet only two were accurate. The midfielder also succeeded with just two of his four dribble attempts, registered a single shot off target and lost possession a staggering 15 times.

This works out as once every three touches, proving he couldn’t quite settle into the match.

Hagi has failed to score or assist in his previous three Premiership matches but he has been added to the European squad ahead of the last-16 clash against Fenerbahçe this week so perhaps he could become an important cog in Europe.

That said, his contract does expire in this summer and there haven’t been any updates regarding a potential extension, meaning the midfielder can speak to other clubs if he wishes to do so.

While losing him on a free wouldn’t be ideal, the new manager may not find space in his plans for the player.

The club have lost plenty of talented players in the past and one is even outscoring Hagi this season…

Robbie Ure’s Rangers statistics

Robbie Ure was one of the most exciting prospects of his age group, progressing through the Ibrox academy during his time at Auchenhowie.

The Light Blues haven’t had a pure out-and-out Scottish striker since Kris Boyd left in 2010 and Ure looked like he fitted the bill perfectly.

During the 2022/23 campaign, Ure was particularly impressive for the B team. He scored 17 goals and grabbed eight assists in the Lowland League, but it was his displays in the UEFA Youth League which caught the eye.

The competition – which is a youth version of the Champions League – saw the Light Blues coming up against Ajax, Liverpool and Napoli, securing two wins against the Italian side.

Ure scored a goal during the 3-2 win over Napoli in the penultimate match of the group stage, leading Rangers Review journalist Joshua Barrie to hail him as a “standout” performer.

That same season, Ure made his senior debut for the Gers, starting against Queen of the South in the League Cup in August 2022.

Amazingly, he scored his maiden goal for the club during the first half, showcasing his talents in front of the Ibrox crowd, with Scott Arfield hailing him as “magic” following the game.

Michael Beale let him go at the end of that season on a free, however, and the Scottish centre-forward now finds himself playing for Anderlecht Futures in the Belgian second tier.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast’s Where Are They Now series.

How Robbie Ure is now shining in Belgium

Yes, Ure might be playing in the second division of Belgian football, but performing well could see him gain some first-team action for the club in the near future.

Last term, he scored five times and registered two assists, while even making a solitary appearance for the senior side against Royal Antwerp.

This season has been even better for the 21-year-old. He has netted seven goals in just 21 games for the club, including four in his last six appearances, chipping in with two assists too.

He looks at home on the continent and playing a different type of football could certainly pay dividends in the coming years.

While not saying that he is at the same level as someone like Hagi, it is another case of the Ibrox side failing to give their young talent a proper chance, before watching them blossom elsewhere.

It has been a recurring theme at the club since promotion back to the top flight in 2016. Whoever comes in to manage the Gers this summer, they must utilise the talent coming through the academy.

Bailey Rice, Findlay Curtis and Paul Nsio have all been given chances so far this season, but more minutes are required if the trio are to live up to their potential.

Ure is certainly enjoying life outside of Scotland and the Gers may rue letting him go for nothing.

Rangers' 4/10 dud was "unspeakably bad" v Motherwell

Rangers suffered yet another domestic defeat this afternoon.

1 ByRoss Kilvington Mar 1, 2025

Chelsea currently sit sixth in the Premier League, having scored 47 goals in 25 games, making them the fifth highest in the division this season, averaging 58.6% possession, which is the second-highest in the league and taking 16 shots per game, ranking fourth in this metric in the division.

Enzo Maresca’s side have generated the second-highest xG in the Premier League this season, with 51.79 xG generated in their 25 league games, only Liverpool having more with 63.21 xG. However, whilst their xG generation is high, the Blues conversion rate is one of the lowest in the league.

Chelsea’s Premier League goal tallies – last ten seasons

Season

Goal Tally

League position

2014/15

73

1st

2015/16

59

10th

2016/17

85

1st

2017/18

62

5th

2018/19

63

3rd

2019/20

69

4th

2020/21

58

4th

2021/22

76

3rd

2022/23

38

12th

2023/24

77

6th

A big part of that is Nicolas Jackson’s recent injury, along with the lack of clinical finishing at the top end of the pitch. Maresca’s side have often fashioned high xG chances this season, squandering them and therefore negatively affecting their chances of turning performances into points.

Nicolas Jackson's injury woes

Chelsea signed Jackson in the 2023/24 summer transfer window, with the Senegal striker joining the Blues for a fee of around £32m.

Since his arrival, the 23-year-old has made 68 appearances for the club, scoring 26 goals, providing 11 assists and totaling 5,312 minutes played.

Jackson has had a patchy season under Maresca, starting in red-hot form, netting eight times in his first 13 Premier League games this season, before going on a poor run of form, only scoring once in his last ten league games.

With Jackson now expected to be out until around April, and Marc Guiu also out injured, Chelsea are without a natural number nine – something the squad is clearly crying out for, and perhaps something that should have been thought about when making sales.

Chelsea already sold a potential Jackson replacement

After spending some time on loan before his permanent sale, Chelsea agreed the sale of Álvaro Morata in 2019 to Atlético Madrid, with the Spanish club paying £58.3m for the striker.

Since leaving the Blues, initially on loan in 2019, Morata has scored 98 goals for a multitude of clubs, including Atlético Madrid, Juventus, AC Milan and Galatasaray.

Álvaro Morata vs Nicolas Jackson comparison

Stats (per 90 mins)

Morata

Jackson

Goals

0.35

0.47

Assists

0.04

0.26

xG

0.29

0.59

Progressive Carries

1.19

2.12

Progressive Passes

1.76

1.40

Shots Total

2.16

3.26

Goals/Shot

0.14

0.14

Goals -xG

+0.05

-0.12

Key Passes

0.80

1.30

Shot-Creating Actions

1.93

3.21

Aerial Duels Won

1.08

0.67

Stats taken from FBref

When comparing the two strikers’ underlying metrics this season, you can see how Morata would have offered something slightly different, offering some extra aerial threat to the side and overachieving his xG performance, compared to Jackson who is underperforming his xG.

The age dynamic between the two wouldn’t have been an issue either, as the 32-year-old Morata would have offered experience to the Chelsea side, which is lacking in this department, making for a healthy and competitive dynamic between the two.

Whilst it is easy to judge with hindsight, Chelsea could have used a more experienced striker who is willing to rotate with Jackson, which could have added a new dynamic to the team in certain games, and helped to cover for injuries such as the recent ones to Jackson and Guiu.

As it is, Maresca may be forced to utilise Christopher Nkunku has a makeshift number nine, or instead look to the academy…

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Posts 1 ByConnor Holden Feb 17, 2025

As they look to fine-tune an Enzo Maresca side which still has its problems, Chelsea have reportedly set their sights on signing a Premier League defender who’s enjoying an excellent season.

Chelsea transfer news

The Blues were brought back down to reality by champions Manchester City last time out, as Pep Guardiola’s struggling side came from behind to throw Chelsea’s top-four aspirations into doubt. It was once again a game in which the London club struggled in their defensive third with another Robert Sanchez mistake stealing all the wrong headlines not for the first time this season.

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Chelsea were poor defensively against Man City

ByJoe Nuttall Jan 25, 2025

The rest of the Blues’ backline didn’t exactly enjoy standout displays, however, with Trevoh Chalobah spun by Erling Haaland before the City star lobbed the out-of-position Sanchez and then Levi Colwill was also overpowered by the Norwegian on his way to setting up Phil Foden for City’s third and final goal of the afternoon.

Two avoidable goals to put City out of reach, Chelsea have been left to ask questions of their centre-back partnership and seemingly left to turn their head towards the transfer market for further options.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea are now eyeing a move to sign Dean Huijsen who reportedly has a release clause in his current Bournemouth contract. The defender has enjoyed an excellent debut season in the Premier League after leaving Juventus in the summer and is now reportedly highly appreciated by those at Stamford Bridge.

Still just 19 years old, the Spaniard has been a revelation for the Cherries who have enjoyed quite the campaign under Andoni Iraola so far.

"Complete" Huijsen is destined for the top

With every passing week, Juventus’ decision to show Huijsen the door remains more and more bizarre. This is a young central defender who showed plenty of potential during a loan spell at AS Roma and one that could have thrived under Thiago Motta. What was Juventus’ trash has since been Bournemouth’s treasure and the Italian club’s regret, however.

Now, Chelsea could take advantage when the summer arrives. If there are any concerns that he’ll struggle to adapt at a top club again too, then those should have been put to bed when he kept Blues target Alexander Isak quiet in a stunning 4-1 victory for Bournemouth over Newcastle United earlier this month. Limiting the in-form Swede to just one shot and 0.06 expected goals.

Described as a “complete package” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, Huijsen could quickly emerge to become the latest young defender tasked with solving Chelsea’s defensive problems.

When the summer transfer window arrives, the central defender looks set to be one to keep an eye on alongside a number of impressive Bournemouth stars.

Sheffield United are now eyeing up a shock move to land a new midfielder this month, it has been reported, as they look to strengthen their chances of an immediate return to the Premier League.

Sheffield United set to be busy in January

Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder confirmed last week that his side will be busy this month as they look to secure an automatic promotion spot come the end of the Championship campaign.

“We’ve been talking the last 48 hours, continually working and trying to progress deals through”, the Blades manager explained.

“I’ve talked about selling clubs or players who are loaned out – they want the best deal and they wait for better offers coming in as well. It really is that type of situation, but we’ve moved stuff forward, so I’m sure hopefully we’ll see some progress in the next four or five days leading up to the Norwich game.

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Sheffield United could look again to the lower depths of the EFL for this January signing.

ByKelan Sarson Jan 16, 2025

“If I told you about one of the deals you’d find that ridiculous, but you have to wait. It’s a bit of a game of poker at times. But we’ve got players who want to come here, which is the biggest thing. And we’ve got owners and a chief exec who are working tirelessly to try and bring players in, which is good enough for me.”

One of those who could arrive is Tom Cannon, with Sheffield United in the mix to sign the striker after his loan spell at Stoke City was cut short by parent club Leicester, though they face plenty of competition for his signature.

Now, they could also be set to land another player whose time in the Championship his just been brought to an abrupt end.

Sheffield United want to sign international midfielder

That comes as a shock report from the Sheffield Star has revealed that Sheffield United are now eyeing a move to sign Northern Ireland international midfielder and recent Sheffield Wednesday loanee Shea Charles for the remainder of the season.

The 21-year-old midfielder, who Pep Guardiola hailed as “fantastic” during his time with the Manchester City youth academy, spent the first half of the Championship campaign with the Owls, even playing in the Steel City derby that Sheffield United emerged victorious from.

Appearances

23

Goals

1

Assists

4

Yellow Cards

6

However, Wednesday Chairman Dejphon Chansiri confirmed on Tuesday that Southampton had opted to recall him from his spell at Hillsborough, and a fresh report has named their cross-city rivals as keen to bring him back to the Steel City on loan for the second half of the campaign.

“Charles’ name has now been inked on the Blades’ long list of targets this month,” the report explains, adding that “the player’s agent has a good relationship with key Bramall Lane officials” which could help any potential deal.

With Ollie Arblaster sidelined through injury, Sheffield United have been eyeing midfielders this window and have already been linked with a move to sign Hamza Choudury on loan from Leicester City, while the added £6,000 a week wages Charles would require would be unlikely to break the bank at Bramall Lane. Would it be worth it just to get one over on their city rivals?