The Gujarat Titans captain also praised his team-mates for their match-winning performance against Lucknow Super Giants after only a day’s rest

ESPNcricinfo staff07-May-2023Hardik Pandya has hailed Rashid Khan’s athletic outfield catch to dismiss Kyle Mayers that broke Lucknow Super Giants’ strong opening stand as a “match-changing” effort, after Gujarat Titans prevailed by 56 runs in Ahmedabad.Chasing 228, Mayers had powered to 48 off 31 balls in a partnership of 88 with Quinton de Kock in just 8.1 overs. Then, he top-edged a pull over square leg off a Mohit Sharma slower ball. Rashid came sprinting in, running diagonally from fine leg, then slid and dived to take the catch to his right after making a last-minute adjustment.Super Giants lost momentum after losing Mayers and scored only 33 runs between overs 9 and 14, leaving them with too much to do in the last six.Related

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Hardik said that Rashid’s catch was the game-changer at a time when his team was under pressure. “The way the game changed after that… at one point of time at the eighth or ninth over we were even-stevens but that catch just changed the momentum and we were able to squeeze in a couple of tight overs,” he said after the match. “And after that I think they were chasing the game more than us.”We started controlling the game. Before that they were taking [us] on and we had to chase the game and make sure that we don’t concede as many runs and let them get into the game. So I think that catch was match-changing.””I think we both were driving at 100 kilometers per hour as a team but I think that bump in their innings cost them the game and got us back in the game.”Hardik also praised his team-mates for producing a match-winning performance after only one day’s rest. Titans’ last game was on Friday night and their match against Super Giants was the afternoon game on Sunday.”I don’t think I can ask anything better from the boys, Hardik said. “Especially, playing after one day’s gap and playing an afternoon game, the boys showed up and how.”Mohit, who gave Titans that vital first wicket, finished with 4 for 29, his best figures in the IPL since 2014. He has 12 wickets in eight matches in IPL 2023 with an economy rate of 6.96 despite bowling many of his overs at the death.”We keep discussing how to go about it, especially once the ball gets a little old how we can mix it up,” Mohit told broadcasters after the game. “And if I get the chance with a new ball, then what can I do with it. Today it was a day game so I knew that the wicket could get a little drier and be on the slower side so how we can mix it up in those conditions, that’s the kind of stuff I discuss with Shami.”I have practiced the knuckle ball, but I have a slight injury on my fingers so it’s not holding, so I am not able to bowl the knuckle ball. But I am using back-of-the-hand deliveries. When it’s the second innings and there’s a bit of dew, I can’t pitch it up too much, I have to bowl it away from the batter. So I am trying to stay as far from the batter’s range as possible.”I keep talking with Ashu Pa [Nehra] off the field. We talk a lot about bowling, what kind of balls I can bowl to different batters. Especially how we can mix up the length ball,” Mohit said. “He keeps saying that it shouldn’t be too short. It should be around top of off.”The win against Super Giants was Titans’ eighth victory in 11 games, giving them a three-point lead over Chennai Super Kings at the top of the table.

Virat Kohli has been fined INR 24 lakh (USD 29,300 approx.) after Royal Challengers Bangalore maintained a slow over rate in their win against Rajasthan Royals at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Sunday. It was the second over-rate offence committed by Royal Challengers in IPL 2023.Aside from Kohli, who stood in as captain in the game, the other members of the playing XI and the impact substitute also faced fines. They have to pay either INR 6 lakh ($7300 approx.) or 25% of their match fees, whichever is lesser.Royal Challengers also faced the on-field penalty and had to bowl the 20th over with just four fielders outside the 30-yard circle.Related

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Their first over-rate offence came in their defeat against Lucknow Super Giants, also at home. Only Faf du Plessis, Royal Challengers’ regular captain, was fined INR 12 lakh ($14,600) at the time.Kohli has been the stand-in captain for Royal Challengers in their last two games, with du Plessis not fit to field because of a grade-one intercostal strain. Du Plessis batted in both games, but was substituted out when Royal Challengers were fielding, as the team made the most of the Impact Player rule.Royal Challengers have so far won four out of their seven matches and sit fifth on the points table.

The Stamford Bridge outfit have the opportunity to turn a good season into a great one, and the Italian tactician deserves a lot of the plaudits

Champions League qualification and a trophy is the absolute maximum most Chelsea fans could have hoped for from the 2024-25 season, especially after Enzo Maresca took the reins as something of an unknown quantity last summer. Fast-forward nine months, and the Blues stand on the cusp of achieving that unlikely feat.

Although an early-season flourish proved to be misleading, Chelsea have still overachieved under the Italian head coach – claiming a top-four place on the final day of the Premier League season at Nottingham Forest's expense and ultimately not even requiring the fall-back of fifth.

While a return to European football's top table will feel like a trophy in itself, a genuine piece of silverware is up for grabs on Wednesday in the form of the Conference League, and Maresca's men have the opportunity to turn a very good season into a great one.

• AFP
  

  Impressive feat

  Maresca was insistent from the outset that he was under orders to deliver a return to the Champions League within two seasons, rather than at the end of his debut campaign. And while the Italian probably paid the price for his side flying too close to the sun in the first half of the 2024-25 campaign, as Chelsea unexpectedly emerged as Liverpool's closest challengers around Christmas before falling away alarmingly thereafter, he has still achieved that significant objective with a season to spare.

  Not only that, but Maresca pulled off that feat with the youngest team in Premier League history, with the average age of his starting XIs over the course the season a little over 24. This was also the Blues' highest points total in six seasons (69), as they finished with their smallest gap to the champions (15 points) since they last won the league title in 2017.

  It wasn't pretty at times. In fact, it was often downright dreadful as Chelsea toiled right up until the run-in – but when all is said and done, none of that matters; hauling this youthful group from sixth place last season straight back into the Champions League is seriously impressive. Now, a trophy beckons.

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• AFP
  

  'Eff off to all of them!'

  Maresca rightly revelled in finally silencing his critics by getting Chelsea over the line with room to spare on the final day of the season, telling all of his many detractors to 'eff off'.

  "I didn't have any doubt about the players," he said. "The doubt was from outside. All the ones that have the answers or the ones that have the truth, they were saying that we are too young, we are not good enough, they were waiting for Aston Villa to drop points for us to achieve the Champions League. They were saying that we were not able to win on this pitch because we are too young, because we are not experienced. Unfortunately for them, they have all been wrong.

  "All the ones that have the truth and have an answer to everything. So in English, how you say? 'Eff off' to all of them, because the players deserve that. The effort they have been doing is fantastic."

  The focus now shifts to the Conference League final, with nothing to lose for Maresca and his Chelsea side.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  The Chelsea way

  Winning trophies – even in the hard times – has become a proud modern tradition for Chelsea. The club's three most recent successes, the Club World Cup in 2022, Champions League in 2021 and Europa League in 2019, all came within seriously challenging domestic campaigns.

  That ability to get their hands on silverware even when the going has been tough is what has set the club apart from many of their rivals since the more dominant 2000s era, but three years on from their last triumph, there will be growing impatience with the trophy drought amid frustration with the way the club is being run by the Todd Boehly-Clearlake Capital consortium.

  Of course, Chelsea will also be completing the European set if they are able to come out on top in Poland – potentially becoming the first club to ever win the Champions League, Europa League, UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and Conference League. The latter might be the least significant by some margin, but that legacy is certainly something to play for.

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  'Chelsea are back'

  Maresca is under no illusions as to the importance of the club getting back into the habit of hoarding trophies. "Probably the most complicated thing this season about the Conference [League] has been to convince the players that for us it's the best competition in the world and the reason why was because it's the competition that we were in," he said in his pre-final press conference.

  Previously, the Italian tactician had explained: "It's very important for us, for different reasons, but mainly because we want this club winning trophies. Winning a trophy is a statement and you [could then] say Chelsea are back. If we play in the Conference, it's because it's where we are. [And] if you play Conference, the only trophy you can win is the Conference. I think it's a good starting point."

Glasow Rangers could be set to face the most important period of the club’s recent history over the next few months. With Philippe Clement being sacked last week, the Gers are on the hunt for their fourth permanent manager since 2021.

Only two trophies have been won in that time, and it is clear that this summer could be make or break for the Light Blues.

The recent news of a potential takeover by 49ers Enterprise has given the supporters some hope that the club could enter next season with renewed ambition, but this takeover might not go through until June at the earliest.

If this does happen, then the new manager might be given some financial flexibility in the transfer market, allowing him to bring in a few players which could see the club challenge Celtic for the Premiership title.

Much will depend on who the new boss turns out to be and his plans for the club heading into 2025/26, but just what could a potential starting XI look like at Rangers next term?

1

GK – Liam Kelly

Against Motherwell, Jack Butland gifted the away side a goal, spilling a weak shot into the path of Luke Armstrong, who slotted the ball into the net.

This isn’t the first mistake by the nine-cap England ‘keeper this season and the new manager might decide to cash in on him this summer.

Liam Kelly might not be the most eye-catching name between the sticks, but he did shine against Celtic at the start of 2025, keeping a clean sheet in the 3-0 win and looking composed throughout.

Unless another ‘keeper is targeted, Kelly could find himself as the number one choice next term.

2

RB – Nathan Patterson

It is time for James Tavernier to finally be sold this summer. The captain has been poor throughout 2024/25 and it is likely the club will end the season trophyless – the sixth time this has happened during Tavernier’s stint.

Nathan Patterson was linked with a move to Ibrox during the winter window, just two years after leaving the Gers in a £16m deal and he could be a major upgrade on the English defender.

Due to injury, Patterson has played only seven times for Everton this season and perhaps a loan spell back at Rangers next term could allow him to gain regular game time.

3

CB – John Souttar

John Souttar was arguably the most consistent performer for the club before his injury in December, which ruled him out for several weeks.

The Scot has won 65% of his total contested duels this season in the Premiership while being dribbled past 0.1 times per game. If he can maintain this type of form when he returns from injury, then the new manager will find it hard to replace Souttar, that’s for sure.

4

CB – Bamo Meite

Robin Propper should be sold this summer and a younger centre-back targeted as his replacement.

In January, the Ibrox side were reportedly showing interest in Bamo Meite, who was playing for Marseille.

He has barely featured for the Ligue 1 side and has since moved to Montpellier on loan, but this shouldn’t stop the Gers from making another approach this summer.

Aged just 23, Meite is at the perfect age to come to Rangers and continue his development.

5

LB – Jefte

It’s safe to say that Jefte hasn’t been at his best recently, but there is no doubting just how talented he is.

Better going forward, as evidenced by his 1.2 successful dribbles and 1.1 key passes per game, the Brazilian must work on his positioning and defensive attributes. If he does, the left-back has a bright future in the game.

6

CM – Nico Raskin

Nico Raskin has turned his Ibrox career around after it looked as though he was going to simply become a squad member.

Since returning from injury last year, he has dominated the midfield, looking impressive against the likes of Celtic and Tottenham Hotspur.

If Tavernier is sold, the captaincy should be passed onto the Belgian star. That’s a certainty.

7

CM – Lennon Miller

The Light Blues have been linked with Lennon Miller for a while now, but it could cost the club around £4m to secure his services this summer if they are still interested.

Still only 18, the youngster is the brightest talent in Scotland right now and would instantly slot straight into the starting XI.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

8

RW – Dario Orosio

Rangers were linked with a move for Dario Osorio last year following his impressive form for Danish side Midtjylland, where he has scored five times and grabbed an assist in all competitions.

With Vaclav Cerny returning to his parent club this summer, adding some strength to the right flank is paramount for success next season. Osorio would be an excellent signing.

9

AM – Mohamed Diomande

Mohamed Diomande has tended to operate at the heart of the midfield alongside Raskin this term, but perhaps his most effective position is just behind the striker.

Indeed, he has scored twice from this position in just eight appearances, creating six big chances in the process for the Gers. He is someone who will only get better with age.

10

LW – Oscar Cortes

Oscar Cortes has been plagued by injuries since initially joining Rangers last January. Since then, he has played just 15 times.

When he has featured, the young winger has shown flashes of genius, but he now needs a consistent run in the starting XI. He may be given this chance under the new manager.

أثنى محمد بركات لاعب الأهلي الأسبق على أداء لاعبي القلعة الحمراء خلال مباراة اليوم أمام بورتو البرتغالي، والتي جمعت بينهما ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس العالم للأندية 2025.

وانتهت المباراة، بنتيجة التعادل الإيجابي 4-4، لينهي الأهلي مشواره في بطولة كأس العالم للأندية، محتلًا المركز الرابع والأخير في المجموعة برصيد نقطتين.

وقال محمد بركات في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر قناة “إم بي سي مصر”: “تُعد هذه المباراة من أفضل مباريات الأهلي في كأس العالم للأندية بنظاميها الحديث والقديم، رغم إهدار العديد من الفرص”.

وأكمل: “شخصية الأهلي ظهرت بوضوح وكانت مهمة للغاية، وأشكر جمهور الأهلي الذي حضر بقوة بـ40 ألف مشجع في المباراة، والجماهير كانت تثق باللاعبين، وهذه هي عظمة جماهير الأهلي في كل مكان”.

طالع | ترتيب هدافي كأس العالم للأندية بعد هاتريك وسام أبو علي أمام بورتو

وزاد: “الأهلي تعادل، لكننا كنا نتقدم في كل مرة، أتفق مع سيد عبد الحفيظ أن ديانج لا يُمكن أن يُترك على دكة البدلاء، بل يجب أن يُشارك في الملعب ثم يتم وضع التشكيل حوله”.

واستطرد: “مباراة اليوم كانت بداية زيزو الحقيقية مع الأهلي، ومحمد علي بن رمضان لاعب كبير”.

وتابع: “الأهلي وصل إلى المرمى كثيرًا وسجل 4 أهداف، قدم مباراة هجومية رائعة وخلق العديد من الفرص، وذلك يُثير الإحباط، حيث إن هذه الفرص كانت مؤكدة وانفرادات واضحة”.

وأتم: “(الوحش) ديانج أوقف العديد من هجمات بورتو وقاد بناء هجمات للأهلي، والأحمر فعل كل شيء ممكن، ومحمد هاني قدم مباراة كبيرة، لأنه كان مدعومًا من زملائه ولم يلعب بمفرده”.

Sheffield United are firmly on the hunt for promotion to the Premier League, though they already look to be planning for the future regardless of what division they end up in next season.

Sheffield United's automatic promotion hopes hang in the balance

Despite suffering relegation from the top-flight twice in the last five years, United have once again positioned themselves among the favourites to gain automatic promotion this season under Chris Wilder.

The Blades have proven to be a resilient bunch despite conducting modest transfer business in comparison to some of their promotion rivals. Many of their summer and winter arrivals have came to Bramall Lane on free transfers or loan deals, yet they have risen to second in the table behind Leeds United with eleven EFL Championship matches left to play.

Bouncing back from losing out to the Whites last Monday, Sheffield United took three points at Queens Park Rangers last weekend to close the gap on the league leaders to three points.

While the run-in is set to dominate headlines over the coming period, the Yorkshire outfit will also have one eye on the transfer business they wish to carry out during the summer.

Sheffield United’s transfer spend in comparison to Championship rivals

Burnley

£45.11 million

Leeds United

£29.99 million

Norwich City

£26.55 million

Luton Town

£26.1 million

Hull City

£25.98 million

Middlesbrough

£20.97 million

Sheffield United

£18.44 million

David Prutton has suggested that QPR defender Jimmy Dunne should be a target for Sheffield United once the window opens, but it remains to be seen the type of markets that could become viable at Bramall Lane in accordance with this season’s outcome.

Either way, Wilder has taken the step of casting an eye towards the future and there could soon be a new face at Bramall Lane if reports are to be believed.

Sheffield United take Partick Thistle youngster Jack Braid on trial

Football League World report that Sheffield United have taken Partick Thistle youngster Jack Braid on trial as they take a closer look at the 16-year-old forward, who has impressed at youth level this campaign.

Scottish clubs are becoming a priority for scouts south of the border due to the impact of Brexit, which has limited UK-based sides’ ability to acquire foreign players until they turn 18.

Likely to come in at Under-18 level should he impress Sheffield United Academy coaches, there are similarities between Braid’s potential move and the arrival of Ryan One from Hamilton Academical in 2023.

Braid wouldn’t be someone supporters will expect to star for the first-team any time soon. However, being able to build for the long-term with smart acquisitions at youth level would represent a degree of forward thinking.

MatériaMais Notícias

A primeira entrevista coletiva de Endrick no Palmeiras aconteceu quando assinou seu primeiro contrato profissional, no dia de seu aniversário. Na ocasião, sócios-torcedores do clube puderam fazer perguntas à joia alviverde, que concedeu respostas muito sinceras.

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Uma das maiores promessas do Verdão, agora com 16 anos, tem uma meta bem traçada para o futuro: o Mundial de Clubes. Inscrito nesta sexta para a disputa da Copa Libertadores, o garoto espera ajudar o clube a levantar as grandes taças em questão.

– Dá para conquistar o bimundial. Se a gente ganhar essa Libertadores agora, creio que não vai passar em branco, vamos ser campeões. É fácil falar, mas dentro de campo é outra coisa. Se Deus quiser nós vamos ser campeões e que eu possa estar no elenco ajudando – afirmou.

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> Clique e confira a tabela completa e simulador do Brasileirão!

Destaque na base palmeirense nos últimos anos, tendo conquistado todos os títulos da categoria com a camisa alviverde, com menção mais que honrosa para a Copinha-2022, Endrick comentou sobre as dificuldades em conciliar estudo e carreira no futebol.

– É difícil conciliar a carreira com o estudo. Eu ainda sou uma criança, um garoto. Tenho que estudar, estou no primeiro ano do Ensino Médio. Então tem que conciliar bem. Tenho pessoas ao meu lado que me aconselham. Sempre que é possível faço as lições. É difícil, muito corrido. Tem treino de manhã, personal, vou começar a fazer aulas de outras línguas… Mas sempre temos que ter pessoas nos auxiliando, não é fácil. Eu sou uma criança ainda, preciso da cabeça no lugar e muita humildade. Deus colocou pessoas certas na minha vida – concluiu ao desabafar.

Endrick assinou contrato com o Palmeiras até o final de 2025 e pode começar a atuar junto do elenco principal, apesar de existir uma cautela – necessária – do treinador Abel Ferreira em relação à joia. A história está apenas começando.

There could be a huge summer on the cards for Michael Edwards and Arne Slot at Liverpool due to potential player movement in and out of Anfield.

Firstly, Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah, and Trent Alexander-Arnold are all out of contract at the end of this season, and it remains to be seen if any of them will put pen to paper on extensions on Merseyside.

Losing any of them would be a significant blow for Liverpool, as they are all regular starters, but Salah could be the biggest loss as he has scored 32 goals and provided 22 assists in all competitions this season.

Rather than finding a one-for-one replacement, which would be incredibly difficult to do, the Reds could sign players in several positions in hope that they all step up to make up for the goals and assists lost.

For example, Liverpool have been linked with a move to sign Atletico Madrid centre-forward Julian Alvarez, who they reportedly ‘appreciate’ and hold a long-term interest in.

Why Liverpool need to sign a player like Julian Alvarez

Salah has been Liverpool’s main source of goals from a right wing position and that has papered over the cracks in the front three, as Slot has had a problem in the centre-forward position this season.

Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez have both had attempts at being the main number nine for the Reds, but they have both failed to provide a reliable presence in front of goal. The former has scored five goals from 7.21 xG and the latter has scored five times from 5.28 xG in the Premier League.

These statistics show that Liverpool do not possess a ruthless number nine who can make the most of the chances that come their way in the box, which is why they need to go out and sign a player like Alvarez.

The former Manchester City man joined Atletico Madrid last summer to bolster Diego Simeone’s squad, and has proven to be a big hit in Spain with his performances at the top end of the pitch.

Julian Alvarez (24/25)

LaLiga

Champions League

Starts

22

10

xG

8.86

2.38

Goals

11

7

Minutes per goal

166

113

Big chances missed

5

1

Assists

2

1

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Alvarez has outperformed his xG in both LaLiga and the Champions League this term, which shows that he can be ruthless in front of goal.

In fact, the Argentina international has only missed 26 ‘big chances’ in all competitions for Atletico and Man City combined since the start of the 2022/23 campaign.

Nunez, for comparison, has missed a staggering 81 ‘big chances’ in all competitions for Liverpool in that time, having joined from Benfica in 2022, which illustrates the stark difference in quality between the two centre-forwards.

The Reds, though, are also interested in signing a defender who could be as important of a signing as Alvarez in the summer transfer window.

Liverpool have held talks to sign Premier League star

According to journalist Bence Bocsak, Liverpool “have held talks” with Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez over a potential move to Anfield next season.

The reporter claims that the club “like” the Hungary international but that a transfer to Merseyside is not advanced at this moment in time, with nothing beyond those initial talks.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

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Bocsak’s article for Anfield Watch expands on the news, adding that Liverpool wanted to sign Kerkez from AZ Alkmaar in the summer of 2023, but the player decided to move to Bournemouth instead to play regular football.

The report reveals that Arsenal, Chelsea, Real Madrid, and Manchester City are also keeping tabs on the Hungarian dynamo, which suggests that there will be plenty of competition for his services this summer.

Michael Edwards, though, must push to sign the left-back, who is reportedly valued at £40m by the Cherries, because he could be as important of a signing as Alvarez.

Why Liverpool need to sign Milos Kerkez

Liverpool are reportedly in the market to sign a replacement for veteran left-back Andy Robertson this summer, and Kerkez would be a dream signing to take the Scottish star’s place.

The Scotland international has been a terrific servant for the Reds over the years, racking up 66 assists in 336 appearances in all competitions for the club, as a consistent creative threat down the left flank.

However, Robertson’s powers appear to be waning. The 31-year-old star has failed to register a single goal or assist in his 27 appearances in the Premier League this season, along with just one assist in his eight outings in the Champions League.

He is heading towards the latter stage of his career and has not been as influential as in previous seasons, as shown by his lack of production in the final third, and that is why a new long-term left-back option should be a priority this summer.

Kerkez, at the age of 21, is ten years younger than Robertson and could, therefore, be the new left-back for the club for the next decade, if all goes to plan, which is one of the reasons why he would be such an important addition this summer.

The Hungarian star’s performances in the Premier League for Bournemouth this season also suggest that he would come in as an immediate upgrade on the current Liverpool defender.

24/25 Premier League

Milos Kerkez

Andy Robertson

Appearances

29

27

Goals

2

0

Assists

5

0

Tackles + interceptions per game

2.6

2.0

Clearances per game

2.7

1.3

Dribbled past per game

0.4x

0.6x

Ground duel success rate

58%

51%

Aerial duel success rate

33%

27%

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Kerkez has vastly outperformed Robertson with his play in and out of possession in the top-flight, as he has made a bigger impact at the top end of the pitch whilst being far more active and reliable defensively.

Wingers find it harder to get past the Bournemouth star, as he makes more tackles and interceptions whilst being dribbled past less, and opposition defenders find it harder to deal with him, as he has scored more goals and provided more assists.

Therefore, Kerkez could come in as a big upgrade on Robertson at left-back this summer, which is why Liverpool must push hard to get a deal done for him this summer.

As important as Alvarez and the addition of his finishing quality would be for the Reds, signing a Premier League proven left-back with the potential to be a key player for the next decade is equally as important.

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Shashank Kishore19-May-20235:28

Moody: It’s going to be a challenge for Warner, others to deal with the Duke ball

India vs Australia in a World Test Championship (WTC) final at The Oval will “bring both teams a little closer together” but conditions at the venue will give Australia a “slight” edge. That’s the assessment of Ricky Ponting, the former Australia captain who is currently involved in the IPL as head coach of Delhi Capitals.”I think it will be a bit more similar to an Australian wicket than it will be to an Indian wicket, therefore I’m giving a slight advantage to Australia,” Ponting said at an event in New Delhi. “If this game was being played in India, I would’ve said it’s really going to be hard for Australia to win. If this game was played in Australia, I’d say Australia are the heavy favourites. The fact that this final is being played in England, it probably brings both teams a little closer together.”Ponting is excited at the prospect of watching a gun Australian attack square off against a blockbuster Indian top order. The match will be played with the Dukes ball, and not the Kookaburra.”The one thing India have been able to change through that period from late 1990s until now or even the early 2000s until now is their ability to compete outside of India,” Ponting said. “Yes, their batting skills have gotten better but the fact that they’ve been able to produce some very good fast bowlers over the 10-15-year period that they’ve been able to have success away.”Obviously they will miss [Jasprit] Bumrah, he’s going to be a huge loss for them, but they still have the likes of [Mohammed] Shami, who will actually bowl well in English conditions. When it comes to the big match-ups, Virat [Kohli] against anyone is going to be a big match-up. I caught up with him when we were there in Bangalore, and I had a good chat with him about his batting and where he’s at in his career and he said to be that he’s back to his absolute best and I think we saw that last night [Kohli made his sixth IPL century on Thursday night], he’s had a very good IPL.”He’ll be the prized wicket all the Australians will be looking forward to. Last few series they’ve played, [Cheteshwar] Pujara has been really hard to dismiss. He’s over there [in England] playing now [for Sussex]. Steve Smith is also there playing along with Marnus Labuschagne, trying to get a bit of a feel for the conditions before this big Test match comes around. So, look, I think it’ll be India India’s top order against Australia’s fast bowling. I think it is a bit of a mouthwatering sort of thought going forward.”Ricky Ponting on Virat Kohli: “I caught up with him when we were there in Bangalore, and I had a good chat with him about his batting”•Associated PressPonting was hopeful the spinners would have as much say on the outcome as the pacers, at least as the Test progresses. In the first WTC final in June 2021, India played both R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, but have usually preferred Jadeja when it has boiled down to picking just one of them. Australia will likely play only Nathan Lyon, although they could also bring in Todd Murphy as another option.”Normally the wickets that I played on at The Oval have started as really, really good batting wickets and actually have offered a little bit to the spinners as the game’s gone on. So that’s what I’d like to see in this wicket; a really good contest day four, day five.”How much of a say will the toss have? Not much, as far as Ponting is concerned.”Oh look, I think it’ll be important, but, to be honest, I’m not a huge believer in the toss unless the conditions are really skewed one way, unless you really turn up in New Zealand or South Africa and there’s an absolute green wicket,” he said. “Actually, you can say that Australia and South Africa in Brisbane this year with a wicket up there had a lot of grass on it and that was probably a little bit unfair. So, you want to win those tosses. But I think if we turn up at The Oval and the wicket looks like a normal Oval pitch that as you say will probably give some assistance to the batterers in the first few days and give some assistance to the spinners as the game goes on, I don’t think it really matters.”You can still win if you lose the toss, you can still win if you win the toss, you get the chance to do what you want first and obviously try and control the game. But as we know, winning the toss doesn’t mean winning the game. Whatever you do first in the Test match, you still have to do that really well to give yourself the chance to win. So, I’m expecting it for the spectacle itself. I’m expecting that it’ll be a really good wicket and it’ll be five days of really good solid, hard Test match.”

If anything typified Arsenal’s calendar year to date it would be their 1-0 win over Chelsea on Sunday afternoon.

A win in the London derby against the Blues should usually be enough to spark bedlam and a roaring cacophony of sound around the Emirates Stadium.

Yet, this game felt different. Before kick-off, the Gunners were 15 points behind Liverpool and knew the title was out of reach. Still, a win is a win and it’s a vital win at that considering they have recently limped to a 1-0 defeat against West Ham, a goalless draw with Nottingham Forest and a 1-1 draw with Manchester United.

While Mikel Arteta’s men enjoyed a lot of the ball against Enzo Maresca’s side, they were lacking a killer instinct that has eluded them for a lot of 2025. They are missing Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus and Bukayo Saka. It’s hardly a surprise they’ve been so toothless.

So, let us rejoice in Mikel Merino, the makeshift centre-forward who’s been saving Arsenal’s bacon.

Mikel Merino's performance in numbers against Chelsea

When Merino arrived at Arsenal last summer, moving from Real Sociedad, little did he think he’d be playing as a striker in the latter stages of the season. Nor did Arteta, in all fairness.

However, needs must as far as the Gunners are concerned.

Merino has done his job well and must be cut some slack. Before that two-goal cameo against Leicester in February, he hadn’t ever played as a centre-forward.

Merino vs Chelsea
Minutes played	90
Touches	22
Accurate passes	10/11 (91%)
Shots on target	2
Shots off target	0
Key passes	0
Duels won	5/15
Possession lost	5x
Tackles	2
Expected goals (xG)	0.17
Stats via Sofascore.

Since being given the reins as the focal point of the side, he has scored four goals in seven games. It’s a pretty decent record but he’s never going to carry Arsenal to trophies playing in that role.

Still, he did an admirable job against Chelsea, leading the press, closing down the defenders and scoring the all-important goal.

Merino has scored a number of different strikes this term, scoring two back post efforts against Leicester and side-footing the ball home from close range against PSV.

This goal, however, was from the near post and it marked Arsenal’s first goal from a corner in what felt like forever. Skipper Martin Odegaard swung the ball in from the right and the Spaniard darted into a good position before flicking the ball past Robert Sanchez.

Merino could have made it two but this time was denied by Sanchez who had a rather topsy-turvy afternoon between the sticks.

The Spain international met the ball at the back post this time and hammered a volley towards the goal that nearly crossed the line but was kept out excellently.

While Merino deserves praise for his performance, one of his attacking colleagues certainly doesn’t.

Arsenal's biggest underperformer against Chelsea

While this was a pretty laboured 1-0 win for Arteta and his players, there were not many players who actually contributed poorly at the Emirates.

Sadly for Leandro Trossard, his contribution did not amount to much. In fact, it hasn’t amounted to much at all really in recent months.

The Belgian did score in that 7-1 rout in Eindhoven but has really struggled to make a positive impact in the absence of Saka.

Trossard began that aforementioned clash at Leicester as the 9 but has since been moved to the left to accommodate Merino and while his performance on Sunday wasn’t awful, it lacked flair and end product.

Performance in Numbers

Want data and stats? Football FanCast’s Performance in Numbers series provides you with the latest match analysis from across Europe.

Handed a 5/10 match rating by the Express’ Simon Collings, he noted that it was ‘one of those days for the Belgian. Got into some good positions, but could not make the most of the chances. Frustrating.’

Trossard vs Chelsea
Minutes played	90
Touches	37
Accurate passes	19/22 (86%)
Key passes	0
Accurate crosses	0/2
Shots on target	0
Shots off target	2
Successful dribbles	0/1
Duels won	4/7
Possession lost	8x
Tackles + interceptions	0
Stats via Sofascore.

A look at the stats paints that frustrating picture, with the former Brighton star failing to register a key pass, a shot on target, complete a dribble or do anything of note defensively. He also lost the ball every five touches with it perhaps a surprise that Trossard lasted the full 90 minutes.

As a result, once the international break is said and done, Arteta must look at other options. Saka is nearing a return but it will still be too soon for any regular involvement for their star man so it surely has to be a front three of Gabriel Martinelli, Ethan Nwaneri and Merino.

Forget Merino: Arteta must now unleash Arsenal's "best finisher" at CF

With limited options, Mikel Arteta has deployed Mikel Merino as a makeshift striker in recent weeks, but should deploy his “clinical” star vs Chelsea.

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By
Ben Gray

Mar 15, 2025