Newcastle United are currently gearing up for what could be a potentially pivotal game in the battle to secure a top-four berth, with the Magpies making their return from the international break at home to Manchester United on Sunday.

That Premier League encounter comes just over a month on from the meeting between the two sides in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley, with the Red Devils ultimately running out 2-0 winners to ensure that the wait for silverware goes on at St James' Park.

One potential regret that manager Eddie Howe may have from that showpiece defeat is the decision not to include club-record signing Alexander Isak in the starting lineup, with the Sweden international having been "electric" after entering the fray off the bench, according to his manager.

While Howe had seemingly found it a "tough" decision to choose between the former Real Sociedad man and fellow forward, Callum Wilson, it would appear that the choice should be far simpler this time around, with Isak undoubtedly the man of the moment at present.

After netting three goals across his last two league games prior to going on international duty, the 6 foot 4 striker has continued that momentum for his country – despite not scoring over the past week – having notably produced a standout display against Azerbaijan on Monday evening.

How did Isak perform for Sweden?

There is no doubt that it has largely been a season of frustration for the 23-year-old due to injury, although with the one-time Borussia Dortmund man now boasting six goals from just ten league appearances, it does look as if Newcastle are finally beginning to reap the rewards of their £63m investment.

As pundit Jermaine Jenas noted, it looks as if Isak "could be the one to get them into the top four", with the 39-cap sensation having proven himself a real "handful for defenders" due to his all-round attributes, as per former Tottenham Hotspur and Portsmouth boss, Harry Redknapp.

During his recent outing with Sweden, the dynamic ace proved that he can offer much more than just putting the ball in the back of the net, having registered an impressive haul of three key passes from just 23 touches during that 71-minute outing, illustrating his creative potential.

The all-action ace also showed his dynamism after completing one of his two dribbles as well as putting in a shift defensively, having won 75% of his total duels – including winning both of his aerial duels.

While the pacy marksman was unable to contribute with a goal of his own – having seen three shots blocked – he was able to play a key role in his side's second of the night, after surging into the opposition penalty area before seeing his clever pullback deflect in for an own goal.

The manner in which Isak was able to burst clear in behind was another example of just what a 'handful' he is, with Howe likely hoping that the £120k-per-week man can continue to shine on a consistent basis over the coming months.

Bangladesh’s captain Mehedi Hasan Miraz and coach Mizanur Rahman were wary of the threat posed by West Indies’ quicks, but backed the hosts’ top order to come good

Mohammad Isam in Mirpur10-Feb-2016

The day before the two sides first met this year, a member of Bangladesh’s coaching staff was looking at the West Indies pace bowlers quite intently during practice at the National Cricket Academy ground. Exactly a month later, on the eve of the Under-19 World Cup semi-final between the two teams, the focus still remains on pace bowling.West Indies’ new-ball attack has been one of the highlights of this tournament, particularly the sight of the beanpole Alzarri Joseph steaming in and consistently hitting high speeds. He has also generated movement to trouble the opposition. Joseph and Chemar Holder, the injured Obed McCoy’s replacement, put Pakistan under early pressure in the quarter-final, which West Indies won by five wickets.Apart from Joseph and Chemar, West Indies also have Keemo Paul, Odean Smith, Ryan John and Shamar Springer as pace options in their squad.Bangladesh crushed West Indies 3-0 last month, but they need to have a second look at their bowling attack and sharpen up during training sessions. Much of it has revolved around tackling the short balls, which have been regularly directed at the throat by the net bowlers.Bangladesh coach Mizanur Rahman was wary of the threat posed by Joseph, but believed that a solid top-order platform could help his side post a good total.”[Alzarri] Joseph is one of the best bowlers of this tournament,” Mizanur said. “But we have plan against all their bowlers. We hope the video session we had will work in our favour. We know him [Joseph] quite well having played against them in three matches before the U-19 World Cup. We are prepared to face him.””Their strength is the pace attack so if our top order does their job, it becomes easier for the middle and lower-order batsmen. If we can make around 230 to 250 or even more, it will be defendable.”West Indies captain Shimron Hetmyer, meanwhile, has drawn confidence from having the fastest bowler in the tournament, especially in conditions that offer little help to the quicks.”It is a good feeling to be in a team with express pacers in the last two years,” Hetmyer said. “I think we had one pacer in the last World Cup that really went all the way through the tournament, and there was [Kagiso] Rabada from South Africa who was the fastest bowler in the tournament.”This year being in the team with the fastest bowler is a big boost for us. Playing in the sub-continent, which people don’t really with pace pitches and so far the pacers have done well for us.”Joseph has turned heads back home, in the Caribbean, as well with veteran commentator and writer Tony Cozier earmarking him a special talent. Joseph hails from the All Saints Village in Antigua, and has been trained by former West Indies pacer Winston Benjamin in addition to taking tips from the legendary Andy Roberts.Alzarri Joseph has impressed in the Under-19 World Cup by moving the ball at speeds north of 140kph•International Cricket Council

Bangladesh captain Mehedi Hasan Miraz, however, has played down the pace threat, saying the hosts were more comfortable against pace, something that they thrived on while playing in South Africa last year.”We like playing fast bowlers,” Miraz said. “Playing against less pace, there’s a chance of mistiming the ball. We are always confident facing pace. We have done well in South Africa, and also against West Indies. We haven’t faced a really pacy bowling attack yet in this tournament, which has caused problems for our openers.”The second semi-final will also be Bangladesh’s first match against a Full Member since the tournament opener against South Africa on January 27. Miraz took confidence from Bangladesh’s hard-fought win against Nepal, and the manner in which his team bounced back against Sri Lanka in the Youth ODI series last year. Bangladesh rebounded from 2-0 down to seal that series 3-2.”We have the belief to turn around from any situation,” Miraz said.” We don’t think negatively. I enjoy playing in the situation that we faced in the last game [against Nepal]. We won three games on the bounce after losing the first two in Sri Lanka last year. Having taken that much pressure in those conditions, has only done good for our confidence.”West Indies coach Graeme West, too, was not short of confidence ahead of the big game. He has said that West Indies were encouraged by how the Sri Lankan seamers zipped the ball around to test India’s top order in the first semi-final on Tuesday.”We watched the game yesterday and we’re encouraged to see the ball get through,” West said. “The seamers both sides were effective in the first 10 overs. Anyone that would have watched the Pakistan game, will see where one of our strengths lies with the new ball attack. And we got to look to that to really make early inroads into the Bangladesh batting.”West also said that the next challenge for Joseph would be to continue bowling with control, instead of focusing too much on pace.”He’s been very successful and he’s bowled really well,” West said. “We need to make sure that he continues to perform at that level, not to get too carried away. If he starts looking at how fast he’s bowling as opposed to where he’s looking to land the ball, then he might lose some of his potential.”

Everton yet again find themselves fighting for survival in the Premier League this season and Sean Dyche has now been tasked with the challenge to ensure they don't fall into the Championship.

The Toffees are just two points clear of the relegation zone in 15th and just like last season, the club faces a real threat of falling into the second tier if the tide doesn't turn over the remaining ten fixtures.

There are several variables that can be pinpointed to Everton's struggles over the last 18 months with Richarlison's exit in the summer particularly playing a huge part in the side's lack of goal contributions this term.

Everton have the joint-worst goal tally in the entire Premier League with summer signings Neal Maupay and Dwight McNeil failing to convert enough chances in front of goal to compensate for the Brazilian's departure. That is further made worse by Anthony Gordon's shock move to Newcastle United in January.

However, it's not just poor transfer business that has been plaguing the performances at Goodison Park as the Merseysiders racked up the worst injury record in the entire top flight last season with numerous players unavailable for selection for months at a time.

It is without a doubt that the most impactful injury concern has been Dominic Calvert-Lewin, with the striker constantly picking up injuries ever since he suffered a toe fracture and quadriceps injury back in August 2021.

How much has Dominic Calvert-Lewin cost Everton?

The 26-year-old has become one of the Premier League's most recognisable number nines over his career at Everton and even earned a place in the senior England squad after impressing Gareth Southgate with his performances under Carlos Ancelotti's guidance back in 2020.

However, in the last two seasons, the striker's injury troubles have put his promising career on a downward spiral with the player only making 30 appearances and scoring just six goals in all competitions since the beginning of the 2021/22 campaign.

To be exact, it has been 81 weeks since the Everton talisman – dubbed "frustrating" by Henry Winter – suffered the first major injury that left him in recovery for the rest of 2021 and has earned £100k-per-week or £8.1m in total since then, despite his lack of contribution and constant unreliability.

Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville recently slammed Everton's mentality for still depending on Calvert-Lewin to be their saviour in the relegation fight this season following the 2-0 loss to Liverpool:

"They’ve [Everton] got to stop talking about Dominic Calvert-Lewin, it’s as if they’re waiting for something to sort of save them – it might never come.

"For me, this idea that they always mention, ‘when we get Calvert-Lewin back we’ll be okay,’ no you won’t. You can’t wait for him. You’ll be relegated if you’re waiting for him."

Neville's comments present a harsh truth for the Goodison faithful and for Dyche when he assesses the next steps, should Everton survive relegation this season, as the club can no longer wait for the striker to make a comeback and instead must look at their options in the transfer market to ensure they can improve next season.

With that being said, it will be interesting to see if Everton finally accept that their beloved goalscorer could potentially never reach the heights he once and instead invest his wages or a potential transfer fee that could provide them with a prolific and reliable striker next season.

Former Barcelona boss Luis Enrique is now the ‘lead contender’ to succeed Antonio Conte at Tottenham, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Conte leaving?

It is widely expected that Conte, whose contract expires at the end of this Premier League season, will depart north London.

Spurs have the option to extend his stay by an additional 12 months but reports suggest that is very unlikely, especially after their Champions League last 16 defeat to AC Milan.

Conte’s potentially imminent departure has resulted in links to many different big name replacements, including Mauricio Pochettino, but The Athletic have shared a new favourite for the role.

The Latest: Enrique enters pole position…

According to the reliable news outlet and journalist Jack Pitt-Brooke, ex-Spain head coach Enrique is now the ‘lead contender’ to succeed Conte.

Indeed, even despite Pochettino’s availability, it is believed that the 52-year-old is likely to be top of Fabio Paratici’s managerial shortlist which has been drawn up.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-news-4/” title=”Tottenham latest news” poster=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/cropped-tottenham-fans.jpg” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Major name…

Having clinched two La Liga titles with Barca and a Champions League-winner’s medal, Enrique is perhaps one of the most prestigious names on Tottenham’s list.

Indeed, the Spaniard has worked with countless footballing stars at both club and international level – including the likes of Neymar, Lionel Messi, Andreas Iniesta, Sergio Busquets and Xavi.

Of course, Spurs arguably do not possess that level of quality, but they’ve certainly got enough talent in their roster for a manager like Enrique to come in and make a difference.

Called a ‘genius’ by members of the media, he also encourages a 4-3-3 attacking formation and would bring a welcome alternative approach to Conte’s pragmatic style.

Jake Lehmann reeled off his third century of the summer as a young South Australia side held their own against New South Wales in the Sheffield Shield match at Coffs Harbour

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Feb-2016
ScorecardJake Lehmann’s 148-ball 122 included 14 fours and a six•Getty Images

Jake Lehmann reeled off his third century of the summer as a young South Australia side held their own against New South Wales in the Sheffield Shield match at Coffs Harbour.Following Lehmann’s hundred, Joe Mennie was able to dismiss Ed Cowan cheaply before stumps were drawn. Cowan was returning to the team after he missed their draw against Western Australia in Perth due to the after-effects of a blow to the helmet inflicted by a Joel Paris bouncer in Lincoln.The match is being held on the NSW north coast in memory of the late Phillip Hughes, and Lehmann marked it with a swashbuckling left-hander’s century as part of a concerted Redbacks counterattack that followed the loss of three early wickets.SA’s selectors had been the subject of considerable debate in Adelaide after the decision to drop the experienced but underperforming Tom Cooper and Tim Ludeman.Their replacements Jake Weatherald and Alex Carey both made strong contributions. Opener Weatherald made a sprightly 58 while the gloveman added 105 with Lehmann after the visitors had slipped further to 5 for 123.Another youngster, the second-game seamer Cameron Valente, helped add further runs with Lehmann, allowing the Redbacks to reach the fringes of 300.Arjun Nair, the teenaged finger spinner who became the Blues’ 738th first-class cricketer and 11th youngest debutant, claimed a pair of tail-end wickets to help round up SA’s innings.

Liverpool are among the outfits interested in pursuing a move for dynamic Real Madrid forward Marco Asensio this summer, with the Spaniard's contract set to expire at the end of the campaign.

That's according to Football Transfers' Jacques Talbot, who claims that the 27-year-old is on the Reds' radar ahead of a possible swoop in the coming months.

Asensio has been with Los Blancos since 2014, when he signed for just €4m (£3.5m) from Mallorca, but has been informed that he will not be guaranteed regular minutes, although reluctant to grant his lucrative wage demands.

The report continues to state that Jurgen Klopp's assistant Pep Lijnders is a huge admirer of the attacker, and with Liverpool stalwart Roberto Firmino confirmed to be departing from Anfield when his own contract concludes in June, Asensio could be a tailor-made replacement, slotting into a new-look frontline, following seasonal signings Cody Gakpo and Darwin Núñez.

Should Liverpool sign Asensio?

Having plied the majority of his career at the Santiago Bernabeu, Asensio is no stranger to success; across his Real career, the £166k-per-week ace has forged 268 appearances, scoring 56 goals and supplying 29 assists, playing his part in clinching a wealth of major honours that notably includes three La Liga triumphs and three Champions League trophies.

The 35-cap international was hailed as "magical" by former team-mate Casemiro, and would certainly bring a new, dazzling dimension to Liverpool's attack, utilising his precision and dynamic capabilities to resounding effect.

As per FBref, Asensio ranks among the top 6% of attacking midfielders in Europe for rate of goals and the top 18% for rate of assists per 90 over the past year, also among the top 8% for pass completion, illustrating a slick, ball-playing prowess which would suit Klopp's system to a tee.

With a successful swoop, Liverpool would indeed wield the perfect replacement for the departing Firmino, who has been integral under Klopp's wing, having signed for the Merseyside outfit for £29m in 2015.

Making 356 appearances, the distinguished Brazilian has scored 108 goals and served 79 assists, paramount to the successful endeavours of the club over the past several years.

Firmino has been hailed as a "leader" by Henry Winter for his feats with the Premier League giants, and despite not featuring from the start on every occasion this term, still ranks among the top 8% of forwards for goals and the top 5% for assists per 90, boasting a similarity with Asensio that affirms the clinical reliability of the pair.

With Liverpool out of sorts this season, and Firmino indeed leaving, Klopp must act swiftly to replace the phenom and ensure the Reds wield a reformed attack capable of surging back toward prominence.

Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali produced impressive spells to subdue Kane Williamson and set England up for a six-wicket victory in Mumbai

Nagraj Gollapudi in Mumbai12-Mar-2016
ScorecardAdil Rashid finished with 3 for 15 to help tie down New Zealand•Getty Images

After seven overs New Zealand were 78 for 1, steadily marching towards another 200-plus target like they had posted two evenings ago against Sri Lanka. Kane Williamson, New Zealand’s captain, was knocking runs effortlessly as the England fast bowlers struggled to find the right length in the early overs.Eoin Morgan, the England captain, had already tried all his quicks: Chris Jordan, Reece Topley, Liam Plunkett and Ben Stokes. Against each of them, Williamson had waited till the last minute before reacting to the ball.Williamson, always easy on the eye, looted 19 runs from the third over, delivered by Plunkett. He started with two sucessive fours: the first went over Plunkett’s head, followed by a deft flick to the right of Adil Rashid at short fine leg. A double that sailed over the outstretched hands of Alex Hales at midwicket and was then followed by a fluent cover-driven four. Plunkett continued to err and pitched full again, allowing Willimson to drive over midwicket for another four.When the left-armer Topley pitched short and wide outside off stump, the New Zealand captain, up on his toes, cut bluntly for a sweetly timed four. Stokes replaced Plunkett but Williamson first stroked him over cover to bring up New Zealand’s 50 and then moved outside the line of the ball to hit over mid-off for another easy four.Moving inside the line of the ball, Willamson then hit Stokes into the Sachin Tendulkar Stand at deep midwicket for his first, and only, six. It brought up his 50 off just 26 balls and comprised ten boundaries.Morgan did not wait any further before introducing his spin twins: Moeen Ali and Rashid to stem the flow. Moeen struck immediately when he removed Henry Nichols, who went for the sweep shot, top-edged and was caught at short fine leg by Rashid. The legspinner, too, got into the groove when he had Luke Ronchi drive into the hands of Morgan at point.Still Williamson was lurking at the other end but England need not have worried. Rashid reserved his best for the best batsmen, a perfect legbreak that caught Williamson out of the crease and gave Jos Butler enough time to whip off the bails. Surprisingly, and disappointingly for Willamson, New Zealand stagnated thereafter.If England were wondering how their two best spinners would fare on Indian wickets they will have been heartened by the first audition. Both Moeen and Rashid kept a tight line, utilised the spin of the pitch and made use of the drift wisely to expose the weakness of the New Zealand batsmen against slow bowlers.After 10 overs New Zealand were 101 for 2. After 15 overs they were 123 for 5. England’s spinners had nicely washed away all the gains scored Williamson in the first ten overs. Only 45 runs came in the middle segment of the New Zealand innings, comprising eight overs bowled by Moeen and Rashid. It was there England snatched the match out of New Zealand’s hands.”It was pretty important for us, we look to win every game whether it’s a warm-up or not,” Rashid said. “We always want to play at 100% and this was a good workout,” he said. “If you’ve got a spinning wicket you’ve still got to execute your skills and bowl your variations.”These are different conditions that we’ve got to adapt to. In India you’ve got to adjust your lines and lengths and field placings.”A target of 170 did not prove to too difficult for England, who bat deep. The opening combination of Jason Roy and Alex Hales did not disappoint as they gave England the aggressive start they were looking for: after the Powerplay they were 53 for 0. At the halfway stage England needed a further 81 runs with nine wickets in hand. Roy had departed having hit a robust 55 off 36 balls, which included two massive sixes, one of which went out of the ground in the passage separating the Vijay Merchant and Sachin Tendulkar stands behind deep midwicket.The match did get exciting towards the end, however, with England needing 42 runs from the final four overs. Eoin Morgan took charge and looked like taking his team home till he went for one shot too many. Having reverse swept Nathan McCullum for a four Morgan attempted a slog sweep the very next ball but was caught on the ropes by Williamson: 22 runs from 16 was now the target. It became 20 from the final two overs.Jos Buttler picked Trent Boult’s slower delivery to hit it flat over deep midwicket for a six. Then Stokes punched a low full toss for a one-bounce four that beat Mitchell Santner at wide long-on. With the target down to six from six, Buttler wrapped up the issue with a straight four against a low, slow full toss from Tim Southee.

ScorecardFile photo – Cameron White’s century saved Victoria from an embarrassing collapse•Getty Images

Cameron White’s unbeaten century and Scott Boland’s unbeaten half-century helped stall a Victoria collapse after they had conceded a 401-run lead to Tasmania earlier in the day. But defeat was still imminent for Victoria, as they ended play still trailing by 162 with just three wickets in hand.Right-arm pacer Evan Gulbis starred with the ball for Tasmania, picking up four of the seven wickets that fell. Victoria stumbled to 5 for 92 after openers Aaron Ayre and Travis Dean put on a 51-run partnership. Gulbis then removed Daniel Christian and Chris Tremain quickly as Victoria slid further to 7 for 115. White then combined with Boland to add 124 for Victoria’s eighth wicket; resisting stoutly, the pair was yet to be separated by the end of play. White chose the route of counterattack: his unbeaten 100 off 118 balls included 15 fours and a six.After starting the day at 5 for 506, Sam Rainbird’s 22-ball 24 helped Tasmania quickly reach 8 for 556 declared, a mountainous first-innings lead of 401.

Liverpool are one of a number of top clubs eyeing up a potential move for Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Florian Wirtz, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Wirtz a huge talent

The 19-year-old has emerged as arguably one of the most exciting young players in the Bundesliga in recent years, already becoming an important figure at Leverkusen.

Wirtz has made 91 appearances for his current club, despite his tenders years, with an impressive tally of 21 goals and 28 assists coming his way in the process, outlining his end product.

This season, the German has scored twice in the Europa League and assisted four times in the league, as his reputation continues to be enhanced all the time.

Wirtz’s performance appear to have caught the eye of some of Europe’s top clubs, which is where Liverpool come into play, as Jurgen Klopp eyes up significant midfield reinforcements this summer.

The Latest: Liverpool in the mix

Taking to Twitter on Thursday, Romano claimed that the Reds are monitoring Wirtz’s current situation, even though Leverkusen are extremely hesitant to sell him at this point in his career:

“Florian Wirtz, attracting lot of interest as one of the best talents in the world – but Bayer Leverkusen remain convinced he will stay at least until 2024

“Barcelona, Real Madrid and Liverpool keep following the situation — the race is 100% open.”

The Verdict: Could be a special signing

The thought of Wirtz in a Liverpool shirt is a mouthwatering one, considering his reputation as arguably one of the standout midfielders of his generation, perhaps alongside fellow Reds target Jude Bellingham.

Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso has even compared the teenager to Lionel Messi, in terms of his use of the ball, which is about the highest compliment possible in football.

Predominantly an attacking midfield who can move wide at times, Wirtz already has four caps to his name for Germany and is someone who could added much-needed guile and youth in the middle of the park at Anfield.

Too often, Liverpool’s midfield can look one-dimensional, with no current central player scoring more than once in the Premier League this season, so he would add a spark in that area.

Whether or not he can be prized away from Leverkusen remains to be seen, though – his current deal doesn’t expire until the summer of 2027 – but if the funds are there and a big offer can be tabled, the Reds would be acquiring the services of an exceptional talent.

Aston Villa are now ready to sign AS Roma striker Tammy Abraham, who could cost as much as €55m (£48m) this summer, according to reports from Italy.

Will Tammy Abraham leave this summer?

Abraham has been attracting the attention of a number of Premier League clubs, though it has recently been reported that Villa are in pole position for his signature. However, they would be forced to shell out a club-record fee.

Manchester United are also said to be monitoring the striker, with scouts having been in regular attendance at Roma games so far this season, but journalist James Horncastle has also pointed out Chelsea have first refusal on their former player.

Recent reports from Sky Italy have also claimed the forward is likely to return to the Premier League at the end of the season, as he is struggling with Roma (via Football Italia).

In a recent report from Il Messaggero (via Sport Witness), the Englishman's poor recent form is highlighted, and it is suggested he is now becoming a problem for Jose Mourinho, meaning a return to his home country is potentially on the cards.

Villa are said to be one of two English sides "ready to sign" the 25-year-old, although he will not come cheap, with Roma sporting director Tiago Pinto setting an asking price of up to €55m (£48m).

However, that fee is on the high end of the spectrum, and the report also speculates the Serie A club could sanction his departure for €40m (£35m), as they would still be making a healthy profit.

Should Aston Villa sign Tammy Abraham?

Villa fans will know all about the 11-time England international's qualities following his very successful loan spell at Villa Park in the 2018/19 season, in which he scored 25 goals in 37 Championship games during the regular season.

Hailed as "sensational" by members of the media, the London-born marksman has come on leaps and bounds since that loan spell, scoring 27 goals for Roma in all competitions last term, including nine en route to their Europa Conference League triumph.

With Danny Ings leaving to join West Ham United back in January, Unai Emery is short on options in attack, with Ollie Watkins proving to be his only consistent goal threat, scoring 11 goals so far this season.

As such, a new striker will almost definitely be required this summer, and we feel Abraham would be an excellent addition for the Villans given that he has a proven track record of scoring goals.