da wazamba： Arsenal may be a far better team than they were a few years ago, but as things stand, their season feels like it’s on the precipice of falling apart.

da blaze casino： Mikel Arteta’s side may be second in the Premier League but sit six points off leaders Liverpool, who have a game in hand. On top of that, they may have just thrown away their chance of winning the League Cup.

The Gunners played host to Newcastle United in the first leg, and despite going 2-0 down early in the second half, the manager didn’t turn to any of his summer signings, including Mikel Merino, who started in the draw against Brighton & Hove Albion on the weekend.

The Spanish international may well turn things around, but so far this season, he has struggled to impress the fans, so recent reports linking the club to another central midfielder this month shouldn’t come as a massive surprise.

Arsenal target former PL star

According to a recent report from Spain, Arsenal are one of several teams interested in signing Juventus ace Douglas Luiz this month.

Alongside the Gunners, the report has revealed that Manchester United, Tottenham and Fulham are all keen on the Brazilian star, who joined the Old Lady for £42m in the summer after years of impressive performances for Aston Villa.

However, the all-action midfielder has found himself out of favour in Turin, and with just 354 minutes played across 13 appearances thus far, the report claims that the North Londoners are keen to bring him back to England on a short-term loan.

It could be a complicated deal to get over the line, especially if other clubs come in with a permanent offer, but given Luiz’s brilliant performances for Villa over the years, it is one worth fighting for, even if it could spell trouble for Merino.

How Luiz compares to Merino

Okay, so while Luiz can play as both the six and eight in a team, the combination of Declan Rice and Thomas Partey already being in the squad and his attacking abilities would almost certainly see him take up the latter role in North London were he to join Arsenal this month.

Reuters/Daniele Mascolo

Therefore, while it might be harsh, he would then be in competition with Merino for a place in the team, a competition many in England would back him to win.

With that said, though, how can we compare them to determine who really would be the ideal starter in that left-eight role for Arteta and Co?

Well, given that neither has played all that much, nor all that well for that matter, this season, the best way to figure this out would be to compare their underlying numbers from last season, as both players were regular starters and vital members of their respective teams.

Unfortunately for the former Real Sociedad star, when we do this, it’s the “box-crashing” Brazilian, as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, who comes out on top, and by some margin at that.

Luiz vs Merino

Stats per 90

Luiz

Merino

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.28

0.19

Actual Non-Penalty G+As

0.30

0.29

Progressive Carries

1.80

0.94

Progressive Passes

5.05

5.91

Shots

1.32

1.09

Passing Accuracy

85.7%

76.2%

Key Passes

1.59

0.72

Passes into the Penalty Area

1.17

0.98

Shot-Creating Actions

3.52

2.36

Goal-Creating Actions

0.30

0.29

Tackles Won

1.14

1.56

Interceptions

0.69

0.58

Clearances

0.54

1.99

Errors Leading to a Shot

0.06

0.11

Ball Recoveries

5.53

7.14

All Stats via FBref for the 23/24 League Season

For example, the former Villa star emerges victorious in the majority of relevant metrics, including but not limited to expected and actual non-penalty goals plus assists, progressive carries, shots, passing accuracy, key passes and passes into the penalty area, shots and goal-creating actions, interceptions and more, all per 90.

On top of having the better underlying numbers, the Rio de Janeiro-born dynamo had a far better rate of return, scoring ten goals and providing ten assists in 53 appearances, equating to an average of a goal involvement every 2.65 games.

In contrast, the Spaniard scored eight goals and provided five assists in 45 appearances for La Real, which came to a solid but less impressive average of a goal involvement every 3.46 games.

Ultimately, Merino may well come good for Arsenal and help them in their quest to win major silverware in the years to come, but as things stand, he’s struggling to assert himself on this team, and while Luiz is also struggling in Italy, we all know how effective he can be in the Premier League.

Therefore, if the North Londoners have an opportunity to land the Brazilian on a short-term loan this month, then they must take it.

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Stats highlights from the first day’s play in St Lucia where R Ashwin and Wriddhiman Saha rescued India after a top-order failure

Bharath Seervi09-Aug-20163 India players who made two or more 50-plus scores and took two or more five-wicket hauls in a Test series. R Ashwin, in this series, joins Kapil Dev and Bhuvneshwar Kumar in doing the bat-and-ball double. Kapil did it twice, against Pakistan in 1979-80 and England in 1981-82 and Bhuvneshwar achieved it in England in 2014. However, Kapil and Bhuvneshwar did it in a series of five or more matches whereas Ashwin’s has come in a four-match series.66.57 Ashwin’s batting average against West Indies – the best by any India batsman with five or more innings. He has converted each of his three fifties into centuries before this unbeaten 75 on the first day in St Lucia.122 Balls faced by Wriddhiman Saha by the end of day one is his most in a Test innings. His unbeaten 46 is his fourth-highest score in Tests so far.3 Partnerships of 50 or more runs for the sixth wicket for India in this series in as many innings. This is the joint-most for India in an away series. Ashwin and Saha added 71 runs in the first Test, and Rahane and Saha added 98 runs in the second Test before the unbeaten century stand between Ashwin and Saha in St Lucia.5.11 Run rate off the second new ball – 46 runs in nine overs. From the start of the second session until the new ball was taken after 81 overs, India had made just 101 runs in 58 overs, a run rate of 1.74. They had a good run rate in the first session though, scoring 87 runs in 23 overs at 3.78 per over.290 Average score on the first day in the four Tests in St Lucia before this match. India’s 234 is the lowest total on the first day at this venue. In 2006, India had made 361 in 85 overs on the first day at this venue.2 Occasions for India when three of their top five batsmen were out for single-digit scores against West Indies since 2000. Before this match, the only instance in this century was in Bridgetown in 2011.25.28 Average of India’s No. 3 batsmen in Tests since the start of 2014 – lowest among all teams. In 38 innings in this period, there has been just one century and four fifties by India’s No. 3. Excluding West Indies, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, all other teams have averaged more than 40 in this period from the No. 3 position. Two years prior to that, between 2012 and 2014, India’s No. 3 had averaged 57.15, third-best among all teams.23.25 Virat Kohli’s average at No. 3 in Tests. In five innings at that position he has made just 93 runs with a high score of 41. The last time before this Test that he batted at No. 3 was in March 2013. He averages 50.64 at No. 4, 42.95 at No. 5 and 44.88 at No. 6.26.31 Ajinkya Rahane’s strike rate in this innings – 35 runs off 133 balls – his lowest in any innings lasting 25 or more deliveries. He had scored 16 runs off his first 33 balls, a strike rate of 48.48, but added just 19 runs off the next 100 deliveries.2 Teenagers who have opened the bowling for West Indies in Tests. Debutant Alzarri Joseph, at the age of 19 years and 263 days, is the second such bowler for West Indies. The first was Jerome Taylor, aged 19 years and 5 days in 2003. The last bowler younger than Joseph to open the bowling on his debut was Pat Cummins in November 2011.

Arsenal are facing a fight to stop one of their mainstay players from leaving next year as La Liga heavyweights Barcelona plot a move for him, according to reports.

Players who could leave Arsenal in 2025

Gunners head coach Mikel Arteta needs every star man possible at his disposal ahead of the final run-in of this Premier League campaign later next year, when Arsenal will hopefully still be in with a chance of winning their first title in 21 years.

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We’ve reached the halfway point of 2024/2025 and Arsenal are nine points behind league leaders Liverpool, but with 18 league games still to play, there is still a chance that Arteta’s side could claw back the deficit and make history.

There are certain players who will be utilised by Arteta to the bitter end, while others face pretty uncertain futures and could depart the club as early as the January transfer window, which is now just one day away.

Brentford (away)

January 1

Brighton (away)

January 4

Tottenham (home)

January 15

Aston Villa (home)

January 18

Wolves (away)

January 25

Arsenal left-back Kieran Tierney is attracting interest from Celtic ahead of the winter window, and Brendan Rodgers’ side could potentially sign him on the cheap next month as the Scotsman’s contract is set to expire at the end of this season, or even on a pre-contract ahead of the summer.

Fellow defender Jakub Kiwior could also depart Arsenal after the new year, and some reports have suggested that the Poland international may even be used as a makeweight in potential swap deals, as the north Londoners chase a replacement for injured superstar Bukayo Saka (Milan Live).

Gabriel Magalhaes’ injury prompted Arteta to start the 24-year-old alongside William Saliba on a consistent basis recently, but the Brazilian’s return to action has since resulted in Kiwior being relegated back to the substitute’s bench.

There is also the matter of both Jorginho and Thomas Partey, who are both free to talk to other clubs abroad and potentially agree pre-contracts in January, with their deals expiring at the end of 24/25.

Arsenal fighting to keep Thomas Partey as Barcelona plot move

The latter has become a fixture in Arteta’s starting elevens on a weekly basis once again, following a 23/24 season blighted by injuries and a lack of opportunities in the team.

Partey has started 14 out of his 17 Premier League appearances, playing as both a midfielder and makeshift right-back, and his presence has been absolutely crucial for Arteta.

However, this could be the £200,000-per-week star’s last campaign in an Arsenal jersey, if they can’t agree fresh terms, and it is believed Barcelona are considering an attempt to lure him away next year.

According to Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo, via Sport Witness, Barcelona have identified Partey as a transfer target to potentially replace Frenkie de Jong, and Arsenal are apparently fighting “hard” to keep the Ghanaian at N5.

Arteta’s side wish to extend his stay and agree fresh terms with Partey, but with the Catalans lurking in the background, it could prove more difficult.

“He’s a massive player for us and he’s shown that week in, week out. He’s started the season really well, really fit,” said Arteta about Partey’s in October.

“The way he came back post-holiday was probably in the best condition that he’s been, which was really helpful as well.”

Lamine Yamal has been told why he is not "the best" despite earning "haven't seen Lionel Messi do that" praise from Real Madrid legend Guti.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Teenager has rewritten the history books
• Plenty of potential to still be unlocked
• Areas of his game that can be improved

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  At just 17 years of age, Barcelona wonderkid Yamal is already an established senior star at domestic and international level. He is a European Championship winner with Spain while boasting Kopa Trophy and Golden Boy awards on a glittering CV.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The teen sensation is being tipped to reach the very top of the game, winning Ballons d’Or along the way as he follows in the footsteps of fellow La Masia academy graduate Messi. There are, however, areas of his game that he can improve while heading down that path.

• WHAT GUTI SAID

  Blancos icon Guti admits as much, telling when asked to assess the hottest of prospects: "He's light years ahead of what I did. The best? What does being the best mean? Being the best means being the best every single match, and he's not the best every single match.

  "It happens to him like Kylian [Mbappe], like Vinicius [Junior]… He has a tremendous talent, and we often talk about how he doesn't score, but the fact is that with the passes he makes, he decides the game. He's a player who decides the game with one play."

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Guti added on the comparisons being made between Yamal and a certain Argentine GOAT: "I haven't seen Messi do that at that age. He's in the First Division and is a second-year youth player. He's a kid who is currently Barcelona's benchmark."

Rangers are now ready to try and seal a pre-contract agreement with a “fabulous” player in the January transfer window, according to an intriguing new update.

Clement under more pressure at Rangers

The Gers could only draw 2-2 away to Motherwell on Sunday afternoon, in what proved to be another disappointing day at the office in the Scottish Premiership, as they lost further ground on rivals Celtic over the weekend.

While Philippe Clement’s side came from 2-0 down to earn a point, it did little to ease the pressure on the manager, who continues to flatter to deceive in the job this season, overseeing too many unconvincing results and performances.

There don’t appear to be any immediate signs that Rangers will look for a change of manager after the draw, but the home clash with Celtic on January 2nd feels like a huge game for Clement, with defeat having the potential to really crank up the heat on him and lead to further calls from supporters for his sacking.

The Belgian will hope that he is aided in the January transfer window, being given reinforcements in his squad, should he still be in charge come the end of the month. One player is now being linked with a move to Ibrox, although it may not be until the summer.

Rangers eyeing free signing of "fabulous" player

According to The Boot Room, Rangers are keen on striking a pre-contract agreement with Burnley midfielder Josh Brownhill ahead of snapping him up on a free transfer at the end of the season. The 29-year-old is wanted by a host of clubs, however, including rivals Celtic, so the Gers will have their work cut out trying to acquire his signature.

Brownhill would represent a really astute signing by Rangers, with the Burnley man now a hugely experienced figure – one who helped the Clarets seal promotion from the Championship, winning the title in style back in 2022/23 with 101 points.

The midfielder has also made 111 appearances in England’s top flight, outlining how he has proven himself as a top-level player over a consistent period, but he is still at an age where he has plenty to offer.

Former England midfielder Lee Hendrie has made it clear what he thinks of Brownhill as a player in the past, saying: “Josh Brownhill, I think he is a fabulous player, I really do. Out of [Sander] Berge and him, I’d take Brownhill all day just because Josh Brownhill reminds me of John McGinn.”

Although the Englishman wouldn’t be arriving in January, instead joining for free in next year’s summer transfer window, it makes complete sense for Rangers to sign him this way, in order to avoid paying a fee.

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This takes away some of the risk element, should Brownhill head to the Gers and suddenly pass his prime in no time at all, but there is no reason why he wouldn’t be a strong signing for at least several more years.

Abdul Rahman, the young medium pacer, has earned a recall with Afghanistan getting their preps for the ODI World Cup on the road

ESPNcricinfo staff15-May-2023Abdul Rahman, the 21-year-old uncapped medium fast bowler, has earned a recall to Afghanistan’s ODI squad for the three-match series in Sri Lanka early next month. It’s a strong squad with most of the regulars, including some players who are currently at the IPL – Rashid Khan, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Noor Ahmad and Fazalhaq Farooqi – among the 15.

Series schedule

June 2 – 1st ODI
June 4 – 2nd ODI
June 7 – 3rd ODI

Afghanistan have qualified directly for the 2023 ODI World Cup, to be played in India later this year, unlike Sri Lanka, who have to go through the qualifiers in Zimbabwe and hope to finish in the top two there to make the make the global tournament.”It’s good to have a couple of young faces for the series; the build-up for the ICC Cricket World Cup has already begun, and we are looking for every possible opportunity to build a good combination of the team and prepare them well for the event,” Mirwais Ashraf, the Afghanistan Cricket Board chair, said in a statement.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

The squad has the experience of Mohammad Nabi and Rashid, as well as captain Hashmatullah Shahidi, Rahmat Shah, Najibullah Zadran, Ibrahim Zadran and Mujeeb Ur Rahman, but Shahidullah Kamal, Yamin Ahmadzai, Zia Ur Rahman Akbar and Gulbadin Naib have been named in the reserves.The bowling looks especially strong. Apart from Rashid, Mujeeb and Nabi – No. 6, No. 8 and No. 10 in the ICC ODI bowlers’ rankings – there is Noor, who has had an impressive run in his debut IPL season with Gujarat Titans, while Farooqi will lead the fast bowling attack. Rahman comes in on the back of a good showing in the ongoing domestic one-day tournament in Afghanistan, where he has picked up seven wickets in five games at an economy rate of 5.81 for Hindukush Strikers.Afghanistan ODI squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt), Rahmat Shah (vice-capt), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Riaz Hassan, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Ikram Alikhil (wk), Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Abdul Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Farid Ahmad Malik

da doce： Leeds United are now on the verge of sealing a deal to allow one member of their squad to depart this January as they look to trim Daniel Farke’s ranks.

Leeds transfer news

da bet7： Though currently top of the Championship, Leeds are still looking to bolster their ranks this winter, according to reports.

The Elland Road side are reportedly eyeing a potential new goalkeeper following several mistakes from Illan Meslier, while second-choice shot-stopper Karl Darlow played against Harrogate Town and helped his side win 1-0 against the lower league local outfit.

Leeds United fixtures

Sheffield Wednesday (Home)

Norwich (Home)

Burnley (Away)

Cardiff City (Home)

Coventry City (Away)

Meanwhile, they have renewed their interest in Mergim Berisha for the remainder of the campaign as they look to add more firepower to their ranks.

For him to arrive, however, there may have to be movement out from the current frontline, which is already congested, and now that is precisely what appears to be happening at Elland Road.

Leeds agree attacker exit after offer

That comes as a free report from Hull Live claims that Leeds have “now sanctioned” Joe Gelhardt’s departure on loan for the remainder of the season, with the talented forward set to join Hull City for the second half of the Championship campaign.

It is even claimed that the move “could be confirmed in the next 48 hours” after he was left out of the squad against Harrogate Town, with Leeds and the 49ers accepting a loan offer from the Tigers.

He is expected to be eligible for Hull City’s next game, when they face Millwall on Saturday, and it is added that watching Hull City fight back to draw 3-3 with Leeds a week ago “rubber-stamped his desire to join the Tigers”.

Gelhardt’s exit is no real surprise, with the forward having seen just nine minutes of Championship action over the first half of the campaign and starting just once in the Carabao Cup.

Though Farke dubbed him “a really top-class human being and he’s a quality player”, he opened the door to his departure earlier in the month.

“Joffy (Gelhardt) is a candidate (to leave) as he hasn’t played that much”, the Leeds boss explained ahead of his side’s clash with Harrogate Town.

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However, Farke could be grateful that the move is only a loan, with Gelhardt held in high regard by the German taskmaster.

“I have an open relationship with him (Gelhardt) and have made it clear I rate him. It’s tough on him as he is a top character with his qualities; it is just a competition thing. I have preferred to stick with Joel Piroe and Mateo Joseph. It is tough for him as he works his socks off in every training session. He knows I trust him. His behaviour is unbelievable.

Gelhardt still has two and a half years left to run on his £15,000 a week deal at Elland Road, meaning that all parties will have a chance to re-assess his situation over the summer without the pressure of his contract running down, while the forward will get some much needed first-team action, albeit with one of Leeds’ Championship rivals.

Sri Lanka used to show tourists the delights of the Galle Coast and then impose big, bruising wins upon them. They have lost that knack, although a hundred from Dimuth Karunaratne was a reminder of old times

Andrew Fidel Fernando14-Oct-2015In the decade gone by, Sri Lanka had set down a foolproof method of operation in Galle. They would bring the visiting teams south at the start of the tour, show them the ocean, feed them some seafood, lead them to the top of the fort, then hurl them brutally off it. It was the done thing in the Murali-Sanga-Mahela days. Sri Lanka had big, bruising wins at the venue, and the touring side spent the rest of the series trying to erase the deficit and the memory of a traumatic loss.And for a long time, the toss also seemed hexed. The coin often fell for Sri Lanka at the venue. The captain never hesitated to put his side in. At the end of day one, their victims walked off the field two shades darker, doubled over in exhaustion, and at least one Sri Lanka batsmen positively strutted off it, a triple-figure score to his name. In the dressing room, Murali had been placed in a straightjacket. The pitch had begun to show slight signs of turn, and he had failed to contain his excitement.It has been a little different in the past two years. South Africa and Pakistan have won matches in Galle. In the last game at the ground, India carved out a gigantic first innings lead, and that game was only won by Sri Lanka thanks to some inspiration from the left-arm spinner, Rangana Herath, and a healthy helping of luck.

Bowlers were ‘brilliant’ – Baptiste

West Indies’ interim coach Eldine Baptiste said the two catches his team dropped could have substantially altered the scoreline, had they been taken. The costlier of the two mistakes was Dinesh Chandimal’s reprieve. He was dropped at mid on by Jerome Taylor on 11, and went on to hit 72 not out, and was part of a 149-run stand with Dimuth Karunaratne.
“The bowlers put their hard work in and bowled brilliantly in the circumstances,” Baptiste said. “It’s just that they dropped a few catches we would have liked to have caught. That would have made a big difference. They could have been 220 for 5, instead of 250 for 2.”
Darren Bravo had dropped the earlier catch, reprieving Lahiru Thirimanne at slip. The batsmen went on to add only 10 more runs, but Baptiste still believed the error was costly. “When you’re fielding in the slips, as soon as you lack concentration, a nick normally comes. If there are 600 balls bowled in a day, you’ve got to be on the ball 600 rimes. The fielder at slip and the one at mid-on could have done a lot better.”

On Wednesday, against West Indies, Sri Lanka’s top order reclaimed a little of what had been lost from the golden Galle years. They rolled out the old welcome, replete with an unbeaten centurion, and a large top-order stand. It was an imperfect imitation, but this is a young team. They have not won a trophy in any format for more than a year. Imperfect, for now, is more than good enough.Dimuth Karunaratne didn’t quite capture the manic energy of Tillakaratne Dilshan’s old Galle charges, but the legside flicks and checked drives were pleasant enough. He squirted Jerome Taylor through the slips for his first boundary, then creamed Shannon Gabriel down the ground for his next.Karunaratne has had an odd home season. He knocked the Pakistan attack around, then was bloodied himself by India, who kept him to 67 runs from six innings. But by being unfathomably inconsistent, he is following in the steps of some of the greatest Sri Lanka batsmen. He has a very long way to go before he matches Aravinda de Silva or Sanath Jayasuriya, but feast or famine had been their chosen approach as well.He said a few technical errors pointed out to him by new interim coach Jerome Jayaratne had lit his path back to form. “The new coach showed me few things to change and I made those changes. Not only me, most of the batsmen made a few changes. We did some very hard work during the last three weeks, simply because the next few series that are lined up are not easy at all. Most of those series are to be played overseas. So this is a series to make amendments.”His opening partner Kaushal Silva clung on dourly for 48 deliveries before edging one to slip. Even in their greatest years, one Sri Lanka opener would routinely soak up balls, as if preparing of a long, fruitful innings, then lamely get out for a low score. Silva carried this out almost too well.Dinesh Chandimal was the man who made the innings spark at No. 4 – a position once held by de Silva before Mahela Jayawardene claimed that mantle. Chandimal has a more homespun style than either of those men, but possesses the same fearless outlook. He cracked Devendra Bishoo’s legspin through the covers fourth ball, and spent much of his innings trying to force good balls into space using his bottom hand.When Chandimal arrives at the crease, it feels like something interesting could happen, which was not the feeling Lahiru Thirimanne inspired today. It sometimes feels like the sedative qualities of Thirimanne’s and Silva’s cricket are being misused by humanity. Could their batting be used to pacify stampeding buffalo for example, or quell tropical cyclones?In the evening, having sapped the West Indies’ bowling of its venom and energy, Chandimal and Karunaratne played out a wicketless final session, in which Sri Lanka claimed the advantage. In yesteryear, the score might have crossed 320 by stumps, but this is the cheap imitation for now, remember? That they saw out the first ten overs of the second new ball is sufficient for the time beingThe time may come when this team becomes a force of its own; independent of great teams and players from the past. Maybe in future decades we will be measuring new batsmen on the Karunaratne or Chandimal scale.But for now, while Sri Lanka fans are still pining for the glories of years gone by, Sri Lanka’s top order gave them a whiff of the past. On day one they reminded spectators what it would be like for Sri Lanka to be good at Test cricket again.

With little consistent support from the rest of his batting line-up, the Sunrisers Hyderabad captain had to play the dual roles of superhero and sidekick to lift them to their maiden IPL title

Nagraj Gollapudi in Bangalore29-May-2016Virat Kohli might have earned a considerable amount of applause for his mesmeric batting in this IPL. But in the biggest match of the season, the one man who had been challenging Kohli’s claim for the tournament’s MVP crossed the finish line ahead of the Royal Challengers Bangalore captain. David Warner was that man.He had dared Kohli by electing to bat first, telling Royal Challengers that he possessed a formidable bowling attack. But first, Sunrisers had to put a challenging total on the board.Unlike Chris Gayle, later in the evening, Warner was not destructive. As he has been throughout the tournament, he was attentive to the possibilities, his placement inch-perfect.Take this instance: Sachin Baby stood at short third man, Gayle at backward point. Barely 10 yards separated the two. Shane Watson erred for the third time in his first over, bowling full and wide outside off stump. Warner stretched to chop the ball neatly into the narrow divide. The fielders held their heads. Warner did not even look up. He knew what he was doing.Gayle then came on to bowl. He was firing his offbreaks into the batsman’s legs. But the first time he opted to flight the ball, the last ball of his third over, Warner swept him powerfully over mid-on for his second six.In no time – 24 balls – Warner raised his bat to mark his ninth fifty of the season, the most by any batsman. Kohli might have won the Orange Cap with four centuries, but Warner was not far behind – he finished with 848 runs to Kohli’s 973, his strike rate, 151.42, nearly identical to Kohli’s 152.03.Yuzvendra Chahal, the best spinner in this IPL, became a little predictable, bowling too many googlies at the left-handed Warner. Offered width, Warner cut Chahal for two fours in the ninth over.S Aravind finally forced Warner to edge one in the 14th. Did Aravind take the wicket or did Warner throw it away? Probably it was the latter. Offered a low full toss on off stump, Warner had punched Aravind for a straight boundary as soon as Kohli had brought the left-arm seamer back. Aravind’s next ball was a fraction wider, on the fourth stump. Warner went for an expansive drive, attempting to hit over cover, and ended up slicing into the hands of Iqbal Abdulla at short third man.Warner has not had the kind of support Kohli enjoys in Royal Challengers’ batting line-up. He has had to be both Batman and Robin for Sunrisers. For half the tournament he did not have the services of Yuvraj Singh, who proved a catalyst as soon as he returned from injury. Barring Warner, Shikhar Dhawan and Yuvraj, none of the Sunrisers batsmen – overseas or Indian – crossed the 200-run mark. At times Warner lost his cool and made his anger public: when the batsmen at the other end were throwing their wickets away in a tight chase in the second Qualifier against Gujarat Lions, he bared his emotions in the face of head coach Tom Moody, who remained speechless.Warner eventually took Sunrisers home with some late help from Bipul Sharma. He finished short of a century by seven runs, but he had won Sunrisers their first IPL final ticket, in their fourth season.On Sunday, late into the match, when Sunrisers had all but sealed the win, Warner was still fully switched on. In the penultimate over of the match, Sachin Baby hit a straight drive off Mustafizur Rahman. Warner was at wide long-on. He set off swiftly to his right, threw himself into a sprawling dive and interrupted the progress of the ball, relaying it two-handed to the fielder coming the opposite way from long-off.Moody said Warner had set high standards for himself, and inspired his team-mates to do the same.”The most important thing that I draw from him is he has a relentless passion to win,” Moody said. “He is a born winner and that rubs off on others. He has got incredible work ethic, incredible discipline and all those things are so important from a leadership point of view and that has rubbed off on the group.”David Warner thumped his chest. David Warner shrieked. David Warner was a proud winner.

Chelsea could soon let a plethora of squad members depart Cobham, including Christopher Nkunku and Renato Veiga, but there is now another player who will be allowed to leave if the right January offer arrives.

Christopher Nkunku and Renato Veiga could now leave Chelsea

In the last 48 hours, a plethora of credible reports have revealed that both Veiga and Nkunku could be facing their final days as Chelsea players.

Chelsea now pushing to sign £65m "monster" who could be their own Van Dijk

Chelsea are gearing up to strengthen in the transfer market this January.

ByAngus Sinclair Jan 13, 2025

The former, who has been in and out of the Chelsea first-team under Enzo Maresca, playing as a left-back, only joined the Blues last summer in a £12 million deal from FC Basel – putting pen to paper on a seven-year contract.

Bournemouth (home)

Today

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However, Veiga’s desire to play at centre-back means he’s already agreed personal terms on a January switch to Borussia Dortmund – who have a wonderful track record of developing young stars and are extremely keen on a mid-season deal for the 21-year-old.

Chelsea have already knocked back a loan bid from Wolves, and won’t be entertaining proposals for a temporary transfer of any kind, as they set Veiga’s asking price at around £25 million.

Nkunku, meanwhile, has set his sights on a move to Bayern Munich. The France international is one of Chelsea’s top scorers in all competitions, bagging 13 in all competitions, but Maresca appears to deem him an impact player from the bench when it comes to regular chances in the Premier League.

The bulk of his starts have come in cup competitions, and this doesn’t appear to satisfy the 26-year-old, as Nkunku verbally agrees on a contract to leave Chelsea for Bayern.

Both sides are now in ongoing talks over his transfer to the Allianz Arena (Florian Plettenberg), but Fabrizio Romano says yet another Chelsea player could join Nkunku and Veiga in heading for the exit door.

Chelsea in talks to offload defender Axel Disasi in January

According to Romano, that man is £38 million defender Axel Disasi.

The centre-back, who Maresca has often utilised at full-back when the likes of Malo Gusto and Reece James have been unavailable, is expected to be left out of the squad to play Bournemouth this evening.

Important clubs are in talks to explore a January move for Disasi, as per Romano, after Chelsea held discussions with the Frenchman over his future. Following these conversations with Disasi, the west Londoners are now open to letting him leave before February 3.

Branded a “leader” in the team for some of his performances, Disasi still faces stiff competition for regular playing time, and it appears his exit is now firmly on the cards.