They broke a sequence of ten successive ODI losses against India, winning with one ball to spare in a high-scoring game

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Sep-2018
Chamari Atapattu stretches for a sweep•Associated PressSri Lanka women held their nerve to pull off a thrilling three-wicket win with just one ball to spare in the third ODI against India women in Katunayake. Mithali Raj’s unbeaten 125 had powered India to 253 for 5 at the FTZ Sports Complex, but Chamari Atapattu responded with 115, helping Sri Lanka secure their highest successful ODI chase.It also broke a sequence of ten ODI defeats in a row against India for the home side, and earned them two points in the ICC Women’s Championship. The last time Sri Lanka had beaten India in an ODI was more than five years ago, in February 2013 during the Women’s World Cup that year.Raj and Smriti Mandhana had put on 102 for the second wicket after India lost Jemimah Rodrigues for a duck in the first over of the game. After Mandhana fell for a 62-ball 51 in the 23rd over, Raj shepherded the innings and remained unbeaten. Although both Harmanpreet Kaur and Dayalan Hemalatha fell cheaply, Deepti Sharma provided the finishing kick with 38 off 44 balls, sharing a 92-run stand with Raj off 83 balls.Raj had been circumspect during her initial phase and raised a half-century off 76 balls, but her second fifty came at a run a ball. Jhulan Goswami, who came in with two balls left, swung one for six to ensure India went past 250.At the halfway stage, India would have been eyeing yet another win against Sri Lanka, but Atapattu and Hasini Perera put together a 101-run opening stand to lay the base for an exciting contest. Hasini was caught by Harmanpreet off legspinner Poonam Yadav in the 24th over, but Anushka Sanjeewani joined Atapattu in a 55-run stand that didn’t let India force their way through the brief opening.Although wickets fell more regularly after Goswami castled Sanjeewani, Atapattu held one end up. She, eventually, fell in the 42nd over, and at that point, Sri Lanka still needed 61 more from 51 balls. But Nilakshi de Silva hit a six and a four, while Sripali Weerakkody stayed unbeaten on a run-a-ball 14. The 17-year-old Kavisha Dilhari, playing in only her second ODI, then kept her cool at the death, striking two fours in her unbeaten 12 off seven balls, including the winning hit straight past Deepti.Dilhari had also been the best bowler for Sri Lanka, taking 1 for 37 in nine overs with her offbreaks.

Glasgow Rangers are enjoying life under new manager Philippe Clement, winning four and drawing one of his first five matches in charge.

The victory against Hearts at Hampden in the League Cup semi-final on the weekend takes the Gers through to their third final in the competition across the previous five years, but they have yet to taste victory.

This could change under the Belgian, especially with the way the Gers are currently playing. In just five matches, the club have scored 14 goals and conceded only two, indicating that the new manager has given the players plenty of freedom to explore their attacking talents and long may this continue.

One of the most pleasing aspects of this new-found confidence in the team is how Clement has managed to get a tune out of players who were clearly struggling under Michael Beale.

Sam Lammers scored just once under Beale, yet he put in arguably his finest display for the club against Dundee last week, scoring a screamer from the edge of the box while also registering an assist and with a few more performances like that, he could turn his Gers career around.

Scott Wright has also looked lively since Clement has taken over the Ibrox hot seat, even scoring against Hearts at Hampden in the League Cup semi-final, his first goal since the Scottish Cup final 18 months ago.

The 49-year-old could certainly do some business in the January transfer window and one striker has been touted for a potential swoop.

Rangers transfer news

It's no secret that the Gers have struggled with their attacking options during the early part of the season as Cyriel Dessers was off form and Danilo suffered a fractured cheekbone in September.

With this in mind, could the Light Blues make a move for another centre-forward during the winter transfer window? Kris Boyd certainly believes so.

The former Rangers striker was discussing Aberdeen’s Bojan Miovski, suggesting that the Ibrox side should take a closer look at him.

“When it comes to Aberdeen, they probably have the best striker out of the lot.” Boyd said in the Scottish Sun (via Football Scotland).

“Miovski has impressed me a lot since he joined the club. And the more I see of the North Macedonia international, the more I have to think the Dons are lucky to still have him at the club.

"Put it this way, I wouldn’t be surprised if he was to be sold in the January window. That’s not something Dons fans will want to hear, especially where they are sitting right now. But Miovski’s displays at home and in Europe are certain to have attracted attention.

“If Rangers are looking for a new hitman in January then they could do an awful lot worse than making an attempt to sign him. I know, the chances of Aberdeen selling their best player to Gers are highly unlikely.”

Although perhaps a tad unrealistic in January, there is no reason why the Light Blues can't make a move for the striker in the near future, and he is certainly performing better than Dessers at the moment.

Cyriel Dessers' numbers this season

The Nigeria international cost £4.5m during the summer transfer window yet has failed to live up to this price tag so far.

Across 20 matches for Rangers, he has scored just four goals along with registering three assists and unless he can boost this tally in the coming weeks, his future at Ibrox may be rather bleak.

Dessers currently ranks first across the squad for big chances missed in the Premiership (ten), while he also ranks seventh for big chances created (two) and tenth for successful dribbles per game (0.5), suggesting that he hasn’t quite made the desired impact over the first few months of the season.

Dessers in the Premiership – 2023/24

Games Played

10

Goals Scored

3

Shots per game

2.6

Goal Conversion

12%

Big chances created

2

Key passes per game

1.2

Successful Dribbles

38%

Ground Duels Won

21%

Aerial Duels Won

50%

Stats via Sofascore.

Clement could change things of course and given the 28-year-old a new lease of life, yet in five games under the Belgian, Dessers has managed to find the back of the net just once, against Dundee last week.

Danilo looks like the real deal however, yet Clement can't aim for success having just one striker in form and this may lead to some action in the January transfer window and Miovski could be an ideal candidate.

Bojan Miovski’s season in numbers

The North Macedonian forward arrived in Scotland during the summer of 2022 as Aberdeen looked to bolster their attacking options, and he certainly hit the ground running during his first season in the north-east.

Bojan Miovski in the Premiership at Aberdeen

2022/23

2023/24

Goals

16

4

Assists

2

1

Shots on target per game

1

0.9

Big chances created

6

1

Scoring frequency

181 minutes

208 minutes

Stats via Sofascore

Not only did he rank first across the Dons squad for goals and assists in the top flight (18), but the striker also ranked first for shots on target per game (one), second for big chances created (six) and for goal frequency (a goal every 181 minutes) as he enjoyed a stellar campaign.

The 6 foot 2 gem has continued this form into the current season, and he has already netted ten goals in just 18 matches, chipping in with three assists too, while he scored the winner against Hibs to send Aberdeen to the League Cup final against the Gers next month.

The £1.2m-rated finisher – as per Football Transfers – was praised by journalist Filip Mishov for his match-winning striker on the weekend, who said: “Clutch striker! The first touch, the run and the composed finish, class… Bojan Miovski is going to the very top, what a moment for the #Macedonian and #AberdeenFC, unreal!”

He certainly knows where the back of the net is and his experience of Scottish football would stand him in good stead should the Light Blues actually make a concrete move for him.

There is no doubt he could be a success, especially with a much higher quality of player surrounding him at Ibrox compared to Aberdeen.

He would be presented with a plethora of chances and judging by his scoring statistics over the previous 18 months, he would excel at putting them away with ease.

Clement will need to try and bring the best out in Dessers, otherwise, the former Feyenoord hitman could be braced for a short spell in Glasgow.

Tottenham have had their fair share of high-profile blunders in the transfer market, notably their summer transfer window business on the eve of the 2013/14 season kicking off saw Spurs spend their newly obtained Gareth Bale millions poorly – splashing £120m on flops such as Roberto Soldado, Vlad Chirches and Paulinho with Christian Eriksen the obvious exception.

Other faces that will remembered as duds when pulling on a Spurs strip over years gone by are Moussa Sissoko, David Bentley and Clinton N'Jie, the last of that forgettable trio never scoring for the north Londoners after the striker was tipped to have the potential to be a future bright spark for Tottenham.

Another stand-out transfer mishap was Vincent Janssen, the Dutch striker electric in his native Netherlands with AZ Alkmaar before uncharasterically turning goal-shy when relocating to England.

It's a transfer that had so much potential, squashed within a lacklustre first season as Janssen would then be sold on to Mexico.

Burning a hole in Spurs' pocket, the now 29-year-old's transition to the Premier League was bumpy after leaving the Eredivisie for a sizeable transfer fee.

The cost of Vincent Janssen's move to Spurs

In 2016, Tottenham must have thought they'd struck gold by signing Janssen for a reasonable £18.6m transfer fee considering the then 22-year-old's exploits in the Eredivisie before signing on the dotted line at White Hart Lane.

He would net 32 goals from 49 games for ex-employers AZ Alkmaar in total, including a terrific 27 goals in his final full season in the Dutch top-flight which saw the deadly striker win the golden boot beating PSV Eindhoven sharp shooter Luuk de Jong to the prize by a solitary goal.

Janssen would have first come onto the radar of English football fans a couple of months before this move to Spurs was completed however, scoring a penalty against England at Wembley Stadium when featuring for the Netherlands in the March before he joined in 2016.

The allure of joining Tottenham at the time came from Mauricio Pochettino transforming Spurs into an easy-on-the-eye team to watch, the Argentine boss steering his team to a third placed finish during the 2015/16 season which meant the Lilywhites now had Champions League football to savour.

READ MORE: The starting lineup at Spurs if they never sold Gareth Bale

After signing for his new team, Janssen revealed – when speaking to Spurs TV per the Guardian – that it had always been a dream for him to play at that elite level which made the switch to Tottenham a simplistic move to make.

He said: "When I was a little child I watched every game in the Champions League and now I can play it for myself. It’s a beautiful club, a traditional club in England.”

Monterrey

94

24

Almere City

74

32

Royal Antwerp

63

27

AZ Alkmaar

49

32

Tottenham

42

6

Fenerbahce

18

5

Stats via Transfermarkt.

Unfortunately for Tottenham, the goals would dry up for Janssen when he made the move to England with the ex-AZ man never living up to this billing of being a commanding and potent striker he had garnered in the Eredivisie in his new home.

Janssen's numbers for Spurs

Signed to give Harry Kane competition, the Englishman must never have really sweated about the potential of being dropped by Pochettino with a goal-shy Janssen waiting in the wings.

The Dutch attacker would have to wait nine whole games to get his first Premier League goal, scoring a penalty against Leicester City on the stroke of half-time in a 1-1 draw.

After this strike against the Foxes, Janssen would only muster up one more top-flight goal for Spurs – leaving it until April of the same campaign to net again, rounding off a comprehensive 4-0 victory over AFC Bournemouth with a simple tap-in after an initial Cherries block.

In total, he would manage six goals for the Lilywhites with the domestic Cup competitions more fruitful for the 22-time Netherlands International – even scoring against Liverpool in the EFL Cup in a much-changed starting XI.

His poor stint in a Tottenham shirt even saw ex-Blackburn Rovers striker and football pundit Chris Sutton at the time comment on the situation, with Sutton feeling sorry for Janssen when speaking on BBC Radio Five Live.

He said: "You have to say you feel a bit sorry for him because it is hard to step into Kane’s shoes, but he hasn’t delivered.”

The disastrous move was put to one side in Tottenham quarters when Janssen left the club permanently in 2019 for Monterrey in Mexico, Spurs recuperating £8m in the process.

But, as much as Janssen did flop in English football, he has turned his career around since departing Spurs and is now the star man for Royal Antwerp out in Belgium.

Janssen's numbers since leaving Spurs

Outscoring Tottenham's shining light in James Maddison this campaign so far – Janssen hitting the back of the net six times in all competitions compared to Maddison's lesser three – the forward has undergone a career revival which has seen the 6 foot striker get back to his goalscoring best.

Scoring seven times from nine games played in the Copa MX in his first season out in Mexico was the confidence booster Janssen needed to shake off any doubts that he'd never recapture that deadly goalscoring streak he lost at Spurs again, eventually leaving Monterrey with 24 goals to his name for pastures new in Belgium.

Since joining Royal Antwerp in June last year, Janssen has already eclipsed his Monterrey total for Mark Van Bommel's outfit – netting 16 goals from 30 games in his debut campaign with the Reds, with Van Bommel's overperformers going on to lift the Jupiler Pro League title.

His goal output for Antwerp continues to flow, scoring a hat-trick in September versus Belgian opponents KV Kortrijk to help his side win emphatically in a 6-0 drubbing.

Janssen's first goal in that match at the Bosuilstadion saw an attacker brimming with confidence, connecting with a cross into the box first time to guide the ball effortlessly into the back of the net.

It's a sign of an attacker who has matured and learnt valuable lessons in the aftermath of his disappointing days at Spurs, the Dutchman often critiqued as being too static and passive when playing under Pochettino at White Hart Lane.

Now, he's found his goalscoring groove again and has been able to rebuild his career to the point where his time at Spurs just reads as a blemish on his otherwise impressive CV.

We all love a good transfer saga. We might pretend that we don't, but there is something about the drama of it all that is too entertaining to ignore. And when it comes to transfer sagas, few players have been involved in more than Kylian Mbappé.

The Paris Saint-Germain forward was at the centre of a transfer storm in 2022 when he opted to sign a new mega deal at the club instead of joining Real Madrid, and then he found himself in another this summer when he told the club he would be leaving next year for free.

The ensuing weeks of back and forth between the two sides led to a mountain of clubs being linked to the star.

Still, he ultimately remained at the club, with reports suggesting that he has signed, or will sign, a one-year extension, meaning that if he is to leave next summer, clubs will likely have to pay close to the £259m offered by Al-Hilal in the summer.

With that in mind, Football FanCast has created a list of nine teams linked to the Frenchman in the last year or so and ranked them out of ten for plausibility and fit.

9

Tottenham Hotspur

Right, so kicking off our list is Tottenham Hotspur, and we'll admit that this does feel like a bit of a pipe dream – and that's being generous – but the idea of Mbappé donning the white of Spurs already seems less farcical now than it did just a few months ago.

That said, we haven't just plucked this one out of thin air, as during the summer, in the midst of the Harry Kane debacle, there were, in fact, reports suggesting that Daniel Levy and co had an interest in signing the French supremo.

We have to admit that the idea of Mbappé playing under the ever-entertaining Ange Postecoglou and thriving in his uber-attacking style of football is pleasing.

Ultimately, are the Lilywhites going to offer PSG the money required to sign their superstar? No. And is Mbappé likely to accept a team that can't guarantee Champions League football? Also, no, but it's an entertaining thought nonetheless.

Chances: 1/10

8

Manchester United

Moving onto our second Premier League team on this list, and unlike Spurs, a transfer to Manchester United now seems infinitely less likely than it did in the summer.

The Red Devils were coming off of a relatively successful campaign that saw them lift the League Cup and finish in third place, all in Erik ten Hag's first season in charge, so why wouldn't Mbappé want to join?

They are Manchester United, after all.

The same Spanish reports that revealed Spurs' interest in the Frenchman also mentioned United as an interested party in the summer, and with the way the three-time European champions spend money, why couldn't they sign him?

Well, a disastrous start to their campaign this season and an increasingly hostile atmosphere around the club has made a deal such as this seem practically impossible. That said, a front three of Marcus Rashford, Rasmus Hojlund, and Kylian Mbappé would be a goals-fest.

Chances: 3/10

7

Al-Hilal

So this is the first of the really dull options on the list, and the team we – along with most fans – really hope he doesn't end up joining, Al Hilal.

In the midst of his stand-off with PSG in the summer, when it looked as if he would be spending this season sat in the stands, Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal decided that they would blow the lid off of the transfer market and offer an eye-watering transfer fee of £259m to sign the Frenchman.

If the fee wasn't obscene enough, the club also offered the forward about €700m (£604m) to play in Saudi Arabia for just one year, a deal that would have truly signalled the departure of sense and reason from the sport.

Luckily, Mbappé refused the offer and opted to stay in Europe, but who's to say the Saudis won't come back with an even more earth-shattering offer next summer, one that Mbappé finds too good to turn down.

Chances: 4/10

6

Barcelona

Yes, for all of the links to fellow La Liga side Real Madrid over the last however many years, staunch rivals Barcelona made a play to sign the World Cup winner this summer when it looked like his future would be anywhere other than Paris.

According to FootMercato, the Blaugrana made an offer to the Parisian side that included three players alongside a cash offer. TalkSport has claimed that the players included were Gavi, Ousmane Dembele and Raphinha.

We aren't surprised that this deal failed, and with Barca's well-documented financial fragilities, a deal for the number one player in Europe seems like an impossibility, especially as they were unable to re-sign their greatest ever player in Lionel Messi when he left PSG this summer.

That said, we would have loved to have seen the crowd reaction at the Santiago Bernabéu were he to turn up donning the blue and garnet of Barcelona.

Chances: 4/10

5

Arsenal

Back to these shores now, and alongside their north London rivals and Manchester United, Arsenal found themselves linked to Mbappé in the summer, somewhat surprisingly, it must be said.

The Gunners spent over £200m on their summer revamp, and so spending another £250m plus on the Frenchman was never really on the cards. Still, once it had been reported that the forward had said he would join the Premier League runners-up should he come and play in England, the rumour mill went into overdrive.

Now, that is it in terms of links to the club, but we can't help but imagine how utterly brilliant a front three of Gabriel Martinelli, Mbappé and Bukayo Saka would be.

That said, for as great a fit as this would be from an entertainment perspective, we really don't think this is a genuine possibility.

Chances: 4/10

4

Chelsea

We're staying in London for this one but moving from the north over to the west, as alongside the other English teams in this list, Chelsea were also rumoured to be interested in the 24-year-old this summer.

Now, we know we just said that the player himself has reportedly said he would join the Gunners were to come to England, but unfortunately, in this game, money talks, and while Arsenal aren't afraid to spend, the Blues take it to a whole other level.

Since Todd Boehly's takeover alone, Chelsea have spent close to £915m, so what's an extra £259m for the best player in the world?

Now, just as with every other Premier League team, this deal is unlikely – especially following Chelsea's start to the season – but if there is any club in European football that is happier to part with their cash, we don't know them.

Chances: 5/10

3

Liverpool

From west London to the northwest of England, and Liverpool are the next on our list of clubs linked with Mbappé.

Where the other English sides have only been rumoured to be after the player in the last year or so, the Red's potential interest goes back several years at this point.

In 2020, rumours suggesting that the Frenchman was on his way to Anfield were everywhere, but in the years since, those links have seemingly all but vanished.

However, amid the standoff between club and player this summer, the Mirror reported that the Reds could step in and offer the superstar the option of a one-year loan spell to help resolve things.

We know now that this report ultimately led to nothing, but that didn't stop the fans from dreaming and us from imagining just how good a three of Mohamed Salah, Mbappé, and Luis Diaz would've been.

While this deal seems a bit farfetched at the moment, the fact that Liverpool seem to have rediscovered their mojo this season can only help fuel the rumour mill.

They couldn't, could they?

Chances: 5/10

2

Paris Saint-Germain

Here we are at the second-worst option on the list, and one we really hope he doesn't choose next summer: staying at Paris Saint-Germain for another year.

Now, this might seem like an unlikely option for Mbappé given his actions over the summer, but if the reports suggesting that a new deal is in the works are accurate, then we can't rule out him opting to run down that contract as well.

If he decided to stay until summer 2025, he wouldn't leave Ligue 1 until he was 26 years old. While the French top-flight is entertaining, it isn't as competitive as the Premier League or La Liga.

Fans want to see the supposed best player in the world actually challenge himself every week.

Hopefully, this doesn't happen, and the new deal is just to help the club earn a significant fee, but based on his past behaviour, we have a sneaking suspicion he could stay in Paris for another two years.

Chances: 6/10

1

Real Madrid

Here we are, the club we think Kylian Mbappé is most likely to end up at next year and come on, who else was it going to be?

Real Madrid are the clear favourite when it comes to landing Mbappé's signature next year, and it is pretty clear that Los Blancos are the only team that the Frenchman has any desire to join once he leaves Paris; he even said as much.

There is no denying that his behaviour over the last few years has seriously annoyed the Real Madrid hierarchy, especially Florentino Perez, who did not hide how he felt following the player's decision to stay in Paris in summer 2022.

That said, football is a fickle business. Whatever Real officials and fans might say, they will still be working on a way to sign Mbappé next summer and with their need for a striker more acute now than it has been in years, we don't see a world in which the Frenchman isn't wearing the white of Real at some point in the next couple of years.

Chances: 8/10

The midfielder could add vital control to a chaotic side looking to turn its major tournament woes around

It was June 23, 2018, and Germany's World Cup defence seemed set to collapse. As Toni Kroos stood over a free-kick, a shade over from the left corner flag, in the 95th minute, with no apparent angle to hit the target, Die Mannschaft's tournament appeared all but over. His side were level, 1-1, with Sweden, and after results elsewhere went against them, anything short of three points would effectively end their hopes in Russia after just 180 minutes of football.

Kroos, though, changed things. A perfectly executed set-piece – a roll to Marco Reus, followed by a whipped effort into the top corner – gave the Germans a 2-1 win, keeping their tournament alive. That would be Kroos' last big moment in his national team's colours. Germany would go on to dramatically lose to South Korea in their final group game, while their pandemic-delayed Euro 2020 campaign ended prematurely in a last-16 loss to England.

By that time, the midfield maestro was being hammered in the German press, and cast aside by veterans of the game. His nation had, in effect, turned against him, and Kroos showed little remorse in stepping away from the international game in 2021.

Fast-forward nearly three years, and that has all changed. Groovy, expansive manager Julian Nagelsmann has brought Kroos back into the side, and the midfielder, once disgraced, disregarded and discarded, is now poised to be a crucial part of a side that needs to perform as they host Euro 2024. He doesn't return as a saviour, nor is it a particularly emotional return. Rather, Kroos has regained his spot in the team on merit, a player reborn and ready to inject quality into what seemed a struggling side.

Getty ImagesThe best player at the World Cup

In 2014, Kroos was simply a joy to watch. Joachim Low had assembled a wonderfully balanced midfield. Bastian Schweinsteiger operated as the No.6, all hard tackles and ball circulation, Sami Khedira and Mesut Ozil pushed forward, and Kroos did all of the bits in-between. This was the perfect example of an unathletic player made to look like a formidable one, covering ground and dominating it with the kind of subtlety of the great tempo-setting midfielders of the game.

The numbers confirmed what the eye could already tell: Kroos was the top performer at the 2014 World Cup. FIFA's Castrol Index, a system that ranked every single player at the tournament, gave Kroos the highest rating in Brazil, pipping Arjen Robben for the top spot.

That tournament introduced Kroos on the global stage, and was enough to convince Real Madrid to snap him up for what now seems an absolute bargain €30 million (£26m/$33m).

AdvertisementGettyHow it all fell apart

Germany have struggled in major tournaments since that World Cup win, however. Their golden generation finally faltered at Euro 2016 – although Kroos was named to the team of the tournament – and the team has since undergone a sequence of disappointments and dramatic failures. 2018 saw them eliminated in the group stage – Kroos' free-kick heroics notwithstanding.

Euro 2020, though, proved to be the end for the midfielder on the national stage. Die Mannschaft struggled all over the pitch in that tournament, and were thoroughly beaten by England in the round of 16. Kroos, perhaps unfairly, took the blame, singled out as the real issue for a side that had inconsistencies in various areas of the field. The midfielder retired shortly after, claiming that he wanted to focus on club football – and saw his career with the team coming to an end.

"I had made the decision to quit after this tournament for a long time. It had been clear to me for a long time that I would not be available for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar," he said.

But the other motives were clear. Kroos, despite being capped 106 times, had become the scapegoat. How could he stay and play for a country that no longer believed in him?

GettyHis Madrid season to date

Last January, Ancelotti seemed to indicate to Kroos that he might be on his way out in Madrid. He suggested that the German and fellow veteran midfielder Luka Modric must prepare for a "moment of transition" in the Spanish capital. At the time, it made sense. Kroos struggled for long stretches of the 2022-23 campaign, his aging legs leaving gaps in the suddenly exploitable Madrid midfield. All of the good things about his game remained – the pass completion percentage, ability to shoot from distance, set-piece excellence – but the defensive frailties that always could have cropped up revealed themselves in full.

But this year, at 34, Kroos is a player revitalised. The Madrid side is better balanced. Ancelotti now plays with four midfielders, and has pushed the relentless Federico Valverde into a deeper position to cover the blades of grass that Kroos simply can't reach quickly enough. As a result, Kroos can do all of the things he's good at, while having those weaknesses that have crept into his game unexposed. With 20 La Liga starts to date, Kroos seems set to eclipse his number from last year. His seven league assists are his highest total in three years.

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Getty ImagesChaos in Germany

The landscape Kroos will walk into isn't the easiest. There aren't just major tournament issues at play here. Germany have struggled immensely in recent months, facing managerial turnover and poor results. Nagelsmann, hired in September 2023, is yet to convince at the helm. The former Bayern manager has won just one win in his first four games – an unconvincing victory over an underperforming US side.

Some of his tactics have been questioned, too. He used Kai Havertz as a left-back in a 3-2 loss to Turkey, while his inability to get the best out of Leroy Sane – who was sent off against Austria in November – has also been of concern. His player pool has also been an issue; Nagelsmann's old favourites from Bayern are all enduring difficult campaigns domestically, and have carried their poor form into the national team. Piece it all together, and this is a once-great power that needs help.

In the golden era of Chelsea's history when the likes of Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba were dazzling packed-out crowds in west London, goals were never an issue as that duo would strike fear into opposition defences with their sheer quality.

In the Blues near faultless title-winning campaign in the 2005/06 season, spearheaded by the tactical brilliance of Jose Mourinho, Chelsea posted 72 goals in the league, but perhaps more telling, Lampard and Drogba combined for 47 of them.

Forming an almost telepathic partnership across their time at the club, the two legends built up the most fruitful duo in Premier League history, holding the record for the most combined goals as a pair (36) from 2012 – holding it for a full decade – before it was broken by Heung-Min Son and Harry Kane in 2022.

In recent times, despite accumulating over £1bn on new players since Todd Boehly took over, the Blues are still toothless in front of goal, finishing sixth from the bottom for goals scored last term (38), behind the likes of relegated Leicester City and Leeds United.

Chelsea attempted to fix that problem with the £32m acquisition of Villarreal striker Nicolas Jackson but it is fair to say, he hasn't had the desired impact thus far.

What has gone wrong for Nicolas Jackson at Chelsea?

Jackson has shown glimpses of the star striker that Chelsea so desperately desired through his piercing movement in-behind, ability to occupy dangerous pockets of space and being a handful for opposition defenders, lacking the most important part – putting the ball in the back of the net.

While the 22-year-old hasn't been helped by the injury to Christopher Nkunku as the pair formed what was looking like a budding partnership in pre-season, Jackson's attacking metrics paint a picture of someone who is doing everything but take his chances.

The Senegalese has scored only twice in the Premier League this term – the latest coming in a 4-1 victory against Burnley – a goal he hopes will truly kickstart his Chelsea career, however, the youngster could have had several more goals to his name.

According to Sofascore, the 6 foot 1 marksman is joint second in the league for big chances missed (7), fifth for the most expected goals (xG) accumulated (4.09), while his goal conversion of 10% paints a sorry picture of striker squandering big opportunities in front of goal, as seen during their defeat against Nottingham Forest.

Despite being in the early days of his Chelsea career, should he continue to be wasteful in front of goal, Mauricio Pochettino could ditch him and splash the cash on one of Europe's most promising goal-getters, Lois Openda.

What would Lois Openda bring to Chelsea?

The RB Leipzig forward has been ripping it up in the Bundesliga since making the £37m (€43m) switch to the German giants this summer.

Having netted an astonishing 58 goals combined across his past three seasons for Vitesse Arnhem and RC Lens, Openda is a lethal finisher, exhuming a calmness in front of goal, an attribute that isn't distinguished from Jackson.

Lauded as "exceptional" by Belgian journalist Sacha Tavolieri, the talented 23-year-old has taken the footballing world by storm in the past year and this is demonstrated by his incredible shooting stats, ranking in the top 3% for non-penalty goals against his positional peers across Europe's top five leagues, top 6% for shots on target, top 12% for total shots and top 32% for shot creating actions per 90, via FBref.

While clever movement and lightening pace frees the Belgian into dangerous positions, similarly to Jackson, the fact he ranks so high for non-penalty goals suggests he's uber-efficient in and around the box, displaying the attributes that could get Chelsea challenging towards the top end of the table.

With four goals and two assists in seven Bundesliga appearances so far this campaign, including a strike in the Champions League against Manchester City, it is no surprise to see Premier League's circling for his signature with Liverpool and Manchester United reportedly entering the race, alongside Pochettino's men.

A deal would be near impossible to complete in January given he's only just signed for Leipzig, but if he continues this rate of scoring, the £80m rated youngster will begin a bidding war next summer that the Blues desperately need to win.

MatériaMais Notícias

O relógio estourou. A janela de transferências nacional e o tempo de inscrição de jogadores no Campeonato Brasileiro acabaram. O Botafogo, por mais que tenha buscado um nome durante esta sexta-feira, não conseguiu reforçar o elenco. Desta forma, o clube de General Severiano vai com o atual plantel até o fim da competição.

A prioridade do Botafogo durante as últimas horas de janela foi um atacante de velocidade. Jogadores da Série B foram procurados, mas a rodada da segunda divisão realizada nesta sexta-feira foi um entrave. Muitos dos possíveis alvos do Alvinegro acabaram entrando em campo e as diretorias dos clubes, é claro, não liberaram os jogadores.

Durante a semana, o foco do Alvinegro era Jonas, volante ex-Flamengo. O meio-campista, inclusive, estava a caminho do Rio de Janeiro e tinha acordo encaminhado para defender o Glorioso. O departamento jurídico do clube, nos “minutos finais”, contudo, viu que a contratação poderia gerar complicações na Fifa porque Jonas havia rescindido o contrato unilateralmente com o Al-Ittihad, da Arábia Saudita, mas não havia nenhum tipo de documentação para provar que estava livre no mercado.

O Botafogo não quis arriscar. Apesar de ter negociado com um primeiro volante durante boa parte da semana, o foco mudou. A comissão técnica do Alvinegro gostou da atuação de José Welison e dos volantes da equipe sub-20 – vale ressaltar que Emiliano Díaz, Osmar Ferreyra e Jorge Pidal assistiram um jogo do time de base in-loco.

O alvo da vez era um ponta. Desde o começo da madrugada desta sexta-feira, a diretoria entrou em contatos buscando jogadores de velocidade. A burocracia envolvendo as papeladas e inscrições nas últimas horas de janela, contudo, não permitiu que nenhum negócio avançasse.

Desta forma, as opções de ataque que Ramón Díaz tem são Pedro Raul e Matheus Babi, como centroavantes. Para os lados, os nomes são Alexander Lecaros – atualmente lesionado -, Warley, Davi Araújo, Kelvin e Iván Angulo.

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After going the entirety of October unbeaten in the Premier League – with impressive home draws versus Aston Villa and Newcastle United standing out alongside a narrow 2-1 away victory at AFC Bournemouth – Wolverhampton Wanderers would have been bitterly disappointed with their performance at Sheffield United last time as Gary O'Neil's outfit succumbed to a 2-1 loss at the hands of the Blades.

The slender defeat would have felt like a gut-punch even more when you consider the time in which Paul Heckingbottom's side scraped a win in the contest, Oliver Norwood's penalty into ten minutes of additional time giving United their first three points of the Premier League season.

Pedro Neto missing from the Old Gold's starting eleven significantly hindered their attacking game at Bramall Lane, the Portuguese assist king sidelined for the foreseeable with a hamstring issue – Neto helping himself to seven assists from ten matches, before this recent injury stopped him in his tracks.

O'Neil could fix this issue of Neto's potentially lengthy absence on the sidelines by recruiting Amad Diallo from Manchester United, with reports suggesting Wolves are in the market for the former Sunderland loanee.

Wolves' interest in Diallo

Football Transfers are reporting that Diallo could be on the cusp of a move away from the Red Devils, with Erik ten Hag keen for the 21-year-old to gain more game-time away from Old Trafford on loan.

With Ten Hag originally preferring to place the four-time Ivory Coast international into the U21 fold among sparse loan interest, Wolves could well offer Diallo a lifeline by coming to the club and impressing at Molineux in the senior set-up.

The west Midlands outfit would also obviously benefit from this proposed deal, signing a short-term replacement for Neto in the process to soften the blow of their gem being injury-stricken.

Diallo particularly shone last season out on loan with Sunderland, dazzling Championship defenders under the guidance of Black Cats boss Tony Mowbray.

Diallo's numbers for Sunderland

Described by his ex-manager Mowbray as possessing "amazing talent" last season at the peak of his powers, Diallo was sensational throughout his one season-stay at the Stadium of Light.

The Ivorian winger would help himself to 14 goals in a Black Cats strip throughout all competitions, assisting a further three from down the channels with trickery on the ball and pace to burn key strengths to his game.

Games Played

37

Goals Scored

13

Team of the Week

4x

Shots per game

1.8

Left Foot Goals

12

Assists

3

Key passes per game

1.1

Dribbles per game

1.7 (47%)

Ground Duels Won per game

3.9 (50%)

Stats via Sofascore.

Diallo is a similarly frightening attacker in the vein of Neto, both players in question often evade defenders in the blink of an eye before instantly creating a chance or even firing a goal home themselves.

It's been this coolness under pressure this campaign for Neto that has allowed him to become this creative force for O'Neil's side, always alert to the correct pass or ball that will cut open the opposition to help his team gain an advantage.

Arguably, Diallo had this same coolness and drive when playing in the Championship last season – the ex-Black Cats attacker's trickery often resulting in him scoring a mazey run, instead of teeing a teammate up for a strike.

Neto always wants to daringly run at defenders in a similar fashion, averaging 2.08 successful take-on's per 90 minutes over the last year for Wolves according to FBRef.

Only scoring once in the Premier League to date during his career as a player on the periphery at Man United, Diallo will hope he can recapture his Sunderland best with O'Neil's men if the loan deal comes to fruition.

Everyone at Molineux will also pray that the Man United loanee coming in could fill the huge gap left behind by Neto, with the Ivorian attacker's skill set drawing parallels to their Portuguese star man.

Tyler Adams made his long-awaited return for the United States men's national team on Thursday, with his infant son watching on at the AT&T Stadium.

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Article continues below

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• Adams makes USMNT return against Jamaica
• His side scrape into Nations League final
• Infant son watches on from the stands

• USA Today Sports
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Bournemouth midfielder came on as a second-half substitute as the USMNT scraped past Jamaica to reach the CONCACAF Nations League final, winning 3-1 after extra-time thanks to some late heroics. But while reaching the final was a huge moment on a collective level, Thursday night was hugely significant for Adams. It marked his first international appearance since the 2022 World Cup, a moment which his family – young and old – were there to witness.

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• WHAT WAS SAID

  Adams' girlfriend Sara Schmidt was there at AT&T Stadium alongside several members of his family. Most notably, though, was Adams and Schmidt's infant son, Jax, who could be seen watching on intently despite being only a few months old. Indeed, Schmidt noted in her Instagram stories that it was "Jax's first game day".

  GOAL/IG: sarah_schmidt22

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  THE GOSSIP

  Adams and Schmidt announced back in November 2023 that they were expecting a baby boy, who was born in January of this year. It hasn't taken long for the Bournemouth star to get his son integrated into the soccer lifestyle, even if Thursday night wasn't the USMNT's best showing.

  Gregg Berhalter's side came within seconds of Nations League elimination before Miles Robinson's deflected header in the 96th minute sent the semifinal to extra time. Then, Haji Wright and Gio Reyna put on a show to help send the Stars and Stripes to the final – even if it did paper over some of Berhalter's weaknesses as coach.

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Adams' return to the international stage shows he is slowly recovering from a hamstring injury that has hampered his 2023-24 season. He made his return for Bournemouth last week in a thrilling 4-3 comeback victory over Luton in the Premier League.

ScorecardSomerset slid to a two-day defeat at the Ageas Bowl to give Surrey the chance to seal a first Championship title since 2002 by avoiding defeat at New Road.Hampshire’s new-ball pairing of Kyle Abbott and Dale Steyn took all ten wickets as Somerset were bowled out for just 116 in their second innings, and despite a momentary scare when they were reduced to 21 for 3 chasing 75, Jimmy Adams’ unbeaten 25 took them over the line before five sessions had elapsed.Questions will be asked of a pitch that gave plenty of assistance to the seamers throughout, but there would be a certain irony if Somerset, whose Taunton pitch has been scrutinised more than once in recent years, were to complain about excessive movement.Conditions were gloomy enough that the floodlights were rarely turned off, and batsmen on both sides will look back at certain shots with little fondness. While it is easy to view those shots in isolation, minds are scrambled when there is noticeable movement off the seam and the bounce is variable.Somerset captain Tom Abell had few complaints about the pitch, and ultimately it will be the opinion of Cricket Liaison Officer Wayne Noon that matters. There is some chance this pitch will be deemed to be ‘below average’, but that eventuality would not mean a points deduction for Hampshire, as it would be their first such wicket in the past 12 months.While Somerset will be disappointed to have folded for less than 200 for the fourth innings in a row, their second-innings total of 116 was that low primarily on account of high-quality seam bowling.Abbott, who now has 30 wickets in Hampshire’s past four matches – of which they have won three – was exceptional throughout the two days. Abbott said that he had “lost a little bit of self-belief” in the first part of the season, when he bowled without rhythm or confidence in his action, but here he looked every bit the South Africa international that Hampshire were so chuffed to have signed last spring.As Marcus Trescothick stood firm, Abbott made early inroads to leave Somerset 20 for 4 and still behind the game. He cleaned up Ben Green and Tom Abell with two late inswingers, and also accounted for Azhar Ali and James Hildreth in a matchwinning opening spell. He ended with 6-40 to secure a fourth five-wicket haul in five innings.At this stage of the season it is easy to reduce Championship cricket to a series of permutations and hypotheticals about how different results will affect title charges and relegation battles. But it was impossible to ignore the subplot played out between Steyn and Trescothick.The pair have less history than one might think – they played against one another just three times at international level – but when Trescothick became Steyn’s first Test victim in 2004, with an inswinging 87mph yorker that clattered into middle, the prospect of them fighting it out in the County Championship 14 years later must have seemed a little fanciful.Instead, it was a gripping contest. Steyn spent most of his opening burst probing around off stump as Trescothick played inside the line of the ball time after time, and while all hell broke loose at the other end, he remained resolute.With the lead just 40 and Somerset eight down, Steyn then hit Trescothick on the head with a vicious short ball. After giving himself an over to settle down, Trescothick clipped Steyn for four and then pulled him for six – a shot which took him past 26,000 first-class runs – and after repeating the trick to go to a valiant 50, he played on two balls later. Trescothick had won the battle, but Steyn the war.Steyn ended with four wickets, and bowled as well as he has done since joining Hampshire as overseas player. While Morne Morkel’s move to Surrey remains the indisputable impact signing of the summer, the combination of the fit-again Steyn and a resurgent Abbott – who, to channel Arsène Wenger, has been like a new signing – has helped Hampshire effectively seal their Division One status with games against strugglers Yorkshire and Lancashire to come.”I haven’t really seen a pitch play like that here,” Abbott said. “It is unusual because it doesn’t look too different to the pitches we have played on here. The wickets are playing very strangely at this time of the year which is good for me but not good for the top order batsmen.”In truth, Hampshire always looked likely to reach their target of 75, and in spite Craig Overton’s three-wicket burst, they had the perfect man for the situation in Adams.His stand of 25 with Sam Northeast – who has contributed plenty to the last two wins – acted as a sedative to the jangling nerves of the home supporters, and Tom Alsop’s late flurry took them over the line.Somerset now face the challenge of putting the disappointment of the past ten days behind them in time for Finals Day on Saturday. They are helped by the fact there is substantial changeover between their Championship and Blast sides, but disappointment at Edgbaston would mean these past few weeks have a distinctly familiar feel for county cricket’s perennial bridesmaids.