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Tottenham Hotspur could celebrate in midweek despite dropping points in the 0-0 draw with Sunderland, as they moved ahead of arch-rivals Arsenal after the Gunners shock defeat at the hands of Watford.

Whilst Spurs’ advantage currently only stands at goal difference, the Lilywhites will be confident of keeping themselves above Arsene Wenger’s side following a run of five matches unbeaten in the Premier League during January.

Facing Middlesbrough this weekend, whilst Arsenal travel across London to tackle league leaders Chelsea, Spurs have the chance to extend their advantage this weekend- and former Arsenal defender Paul Merson is backing them to do exactly that.

Making his predictions for the Premier League weekend for Sky Sports, Merson said:

“Middlesbrough are quite solid at the back but they don’t score enough goals. They are not going to blow Tottenham away and if Spurs get an early goal they could run away with it.”

“Middlesbrough will set up to make things difficult for Tottenham but Mauricio Pochettino’s side need to win this game. It was a poor result against Sunderland but I expect them to bounce back.”

“Arsenal were shocking on Tuesday against Watford and they won’t be relishing this trip to Stamford Bridge. It’s a must-win game for Arsenal after their defeat to the Hornets, and they have got to go for it against the best team in the country. That will play into Chelsea’s hands. I just can’t make a case for Arsenal here. Chelsea are running away with the league and I think they’ll claim a comprehensive victory.”

Backing Tottenham for a 3-0 victory over Aitor Karanka’s side whilst tipping Chelsea to beat Arsenal 3-1, those results would certainly make for the perfect weekend in the eyes of Spurs supporters and they’ll know what they have to do come kick-off, as their clash comes after the Gunners’ trip to Stamford Bridge.

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To look at Jurgen Klopp bouncing around on the touchline, in a tracksuit and floppy hair, you wouldn’t think of a chess player. Just by looking at the man, the mind doesn’t immediately jump to comparisons with the great tacticians of footballing history.

The mind jumps more to a Martin O’Neill or someone like that. A good manager, for sure, but more of a motivator, a man-manager who makes his teams look like more than the sum of their parts.

And although Klopp does know how to care for his players, there’s a lot more of the cerebral around the man.

He has a bit of a reputation as a manager who out-thinks his opposite numbers. Dortmund upset the odds by winning the Bundesliga twice in a row, and were able to compete with the behemoths that are Bayern Munich for years in the most unlikely of circumstances – even reaching a Champions League final where they narrowly lost out to their domestic nemesis.

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The idea that teams work hard and try to win the ball back when they lose it is nothing new, of course.

The fact that Klopp – this ultra-popular proponent of hipster football – is implementing a pressing game at Liverpool has been mocked by those who point out that gegenpressing is what English clubs at all levels have been doing for years. They just don’t have a fancy name for it.

The cliches of the ‘honest and hardworking’ player are exemplified by that sort of style. The player who will run around and work hard is the kind of player who presses the opposition and chases lost causes.

But Klopp’s thoughts aren’t all about hard work. They’re about the opposition too. They’re about how likely the opposition are to try to counter attack or try to dominate the game.

Gegenpressing comes in many different forms. Maybe you press the opponents just after they win the ball back – it’s hard to launch a counter attack if you’re under severe pressure already. Maybe you press the man on the ball and force him into a mistake. Or maybe you press the ball itself and try to intercept it? Or maybe you press the players who could receive the pass – especially useful against a team like Manchester United who are slow in possession and like to build up from the back.

Liverpool under Klopp look like a more traditionally English team, but they’re a much more thoughtful team than they were under Rodgers. Their intensity is much higher, but that doesn’t mean you cut down on the intellectual side of the game, it just mean you think with intensity too. The players must come off the pitch mentally and physically drained.

Do you ever play a game of FIFA against that one mate with whom you’re so equally matched. The game is intense, you press mercilessly, your players are pulling up with hamstring injuries by the end of extra time, but it’s still 0-0 because you’ve been so focused on keeping your centre backs in position and not giving your mate a chance to cut you open with a through ball. It’s mentally and physically exhausting, it’s super intense, and yet it’s only a game of FIFA!

Liverpool’s players go through the real-life manifestation of that every game. But they know what they’re doing. They’re prepared for it and they’re braced for it. Poor Manchester City last weekend – they weren’t braced for how mentally tough that game was going to be.

Liverpool just looked better. They tore City apart. But that’s not because Liverpool have better players than City – they don’t – but because City weren’t ready for how mentally tough it would be to play against Liverpool. They may not have come off the pitch as physically drained as they might have expected, but mentally it must have been a different story. They were rattled right from the off with Mangala scoring a comical own goal, and from then on City weren’t on Liverpool’s level.

This is the new Liverpool under Klopp. His team is an old-fashioned English side modified for the modern game. The modern game of pristine pitches, soft fouls and mind-numbing tactical overload. Klopp is peak 70s physicality for a gentrified game – designer stubble and thick-rim glasses, not pornstar moustache and ultra-short shorts.

And until the rest of the league understands him, they’ll find it hard to beat him.

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Chelsea legend N’Golo Kante scored an acrobatic flying header for Al-Ittihad against Al-Hilal in an eventual 3-1 loss on Friday.

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• Kante opened the scoring against Al-Hilal
• Threw himself to score a diving header
• Al-Hilal surged forward in the second half

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The French midfielder rolled back the years on Friday evening with a stunning header to put the visitors in front at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh. After left-back, Zakaria Al Hawsawi, sent in an inch-perfect cross, Kante flew in to head home in the 12th minute to draw first blood in the league encounter.

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  However, Al-Ittihad's joy was short-lived as the hosts fired in three goals to emerge triumphant. Saleh Alshehri equalised in the 39th minute and in the second half Malcom and Saud Abdulhamid found the net to extend their lead to nine points at the top of the table over Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Al-Ittihad will be eager to avenge the loss when the two sides lock horns again on March 5 in the first leg of the AFC Champions League quarter-final.

Marcus Rashford has been left puzzled by one of his attribute ratings on EAFC 24, with the Manchester United forward asking: “Am I that bad?!”

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• England star posted personal bests last season
• Overall rating in EA video game has risen
• Still has room from improvement

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Overall, the England international forward has seen his base card rise from 83 to 85 – with a personal-best goal return of 30 efforts last season ensuring that he continues to head in the right direction. There are, however, some areas of his game that require improvement.

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  Rashford was asked while filming with the to guess his defensive ability rating from FIFA 23. He optimistically went with 68 and said after being informed that it was in fact 41: “41?! Am I that bad?!” When taking a shot at this year’s score, he got his prediction spot on when adding: “42, I am shocked with this one, I can't lie.”

• WHAT THEY SAID

  The 25-year-old Old Trafford academy graduate was slightly happier with some of his other marks. On being rated at 90 on the pace front, Rashford said of being ahead of his club colleagues: “I think I'm probably the fastest.” He has secured upgrades for shooting, pace, physicality, passing and dribbling, but said of being bumped up from 82 to 86 on the shooting front: “I am going to have a word with them.”

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  WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

  Rashford opened his goal account for 2023-24 last time out in United’s 3-1 defeat at Arsenal and will be hoping to get his first effort of the campaign on home soil when the Red Devils return to Premier League action against Brighton on Saturday.

Anthony Hudson has plenty of decisions to make as his inexperienced roster prepares to face the team's old rivals on Wednesday

Wednesday night's clash may not feel like a typical match between the U.S. men's national team and Mexico, but it could offer a glimpse into the future of what this rivalry could look like.

Both the U.S. and Mexico arrived in Arizona this week with young, inexperienced, largely domestic-based squads as they usher in new eras. Mexico's has officially begun under Diego Cocca, while the USMNT's is something of a work in progress, with interim boss Anthony Hudson still in charge.

Neither team will have its heavy-hitters, with European players out of the picture, but several young stars could continue their rise with this midweek friendly. That's especially true for the USMNT, who have several high-potential players in camp that should be Europe-bound sooner rather than later.

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With that said, GOAL takes a look at who the USMNT start against El Tri:

GettyGK: Sean Johnson

Drake Callendar and Roman Celantano may get time to shine, but we'll start with the steady hand of Johnson, the lone goalkeeper with caps in the squad.

Johnson has been a valuable member of the USMNT for some time, having earned his World Cup place last year.

We'll give him the start, but don't be surprised if one of the other two is tossed in for a debut at some point.

AdvertisementGettyLB: Caleb Wiley

The Atlanta United star is the USMNT's potential left-back of the future if his MLS form is anything to go by, so why not see what he can offer in the present?

To be fair, Hudson likely won't make this move, considering the short run up to what would be Wiley's first cap, but why not see what he has? He's been fantastic in the attack with Atlanta so far this season and, although he's likely to remain with the Under-20s for a bit longer, he has certainly earned a look at this level.

Julian Gressel, meanwhile, made his debut in January, showing off his incredible crossing ability during the first camp of the year. He likely won't really be a part of the full team picture but, if he is, you know what you get from him in terms of attacking production.

Gressel is the more likely starter, but Wiley is the more fun one, so we'll give him a go.

GettyCB: Walker Zimmerman

Right now, still possibly a starting centerback when the full team is together, although Miles Robinson and Tim Ream might have something to say about that.

But, with those two not here, Zimmerman gets the nod.

He'll provide leadership and experience for this one, which is still a big rivalry game. Zimmerman also makes sense as captain as well, which makes him an obvious starter.

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Getty ImagesCB: Matt Miazga

The fun selection would be Joshua Wynder. The safe selection would be Aaron Long.

But Matt Miazga is probably the most interesting selection.

The FC Cincinnati star spoke last week about feeling "screwed" by the old regime, and this is a chance to prove himself correct. He's been good for Cincinnati after being stuck in Chelsea's loan cycle and, at 27, there's still plenty of good soccer ahead of him.

Let's see what he looks like next to Zimmerman in this one and then go from there.

MatériaMais Notícias

No Barradão, o Vitória tentou de todas as formas, mas não conseguiu sair do empate sem gols com o Freipaulistano. O resultado deixou o Leão na terceira colocação da chave B. O time sergipano é o lanterna do grupo A, com dois.

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Na próxima rodada, o Vitória encara o CRB, no Barradão. O Freipaulistano visita o Santa Cruz, no Arruda.

O confronto

O primeiro tempo no Barradão ficou longe do esperado. Sem conseguir furar o sistema de marcação do Freipaulistano, o Vitória pouco chegou e o jeito foi arriscar em chutes de fora da área. No melhor arremate, Fernando Neto deu trabalho ao goleiro Danilo.

Pelo lado do Touro do Agreste, a única oportunidade veio com Tiquinho. Em bomba de fora da área, a bola triscou o arco de Ronaldo.

Na etapa final o Rubro-Negro subiu o volume no campo de ataque e deu uma verdadeira blitz, com pelo menos três boas chances, mas parava nas boas defesas do goleiro Giovani.

Nos minutos finais do confronto, o Vitória teve ótima chance em cobrança de falta. Carleto soltou a bomba, a bola desviou no trajeto do gol e Giovani salvou o Freipaulistano.

A chance do triunfo do Leão veio nos acréscimos, mas Léo Ceará perdeu de maneira inacreditável. Após cruzamento, o atacante chutou e a bola pegou na zaga. No rebote, ele mandou por cima do gol.

Mahedi Hasan struck a wonderful century as Gazi Group Cricketers stunned defending champions Prime Bank Cricket Club by 106 runs in Mirpur.Hasan, 21, on List A debut, made 103 off 89 balls with eight fours and five sixes to help Gazi Group put up 303 for 4 in 50 overs. In reply, Prime Bank were bowled out for 197 in 46.3 overs.Hasan patiently reached 50 off 58 balls, and only unleashed the hits to the leg side or the lashes over off after crossing 70. He got to his century with a hook off Rubel Hossain and punched the air in delight. Mahedi later took 1 for 22 from 10 overs and was named Man of the Match.Earlier, Anamul Haque and Shamsur Rahman made fifties, adding 113 for the opening wicket. Mahedi added 54 for the second wicket with Anamul before adding another 84 with Saeed Anwar jnr for the third.Anwar jnr returned to take 3 for 31 in Prime Bank’s reply, while Mohammad Sharif and Moinul Islam picked up two each. Only Yasir Ali and Rubel Hossain made headway for Prime Bank, scoring 56 and 45 respectively.At the Fatullah Cricket Stadium, Jubair Hossain’s 6 for 34 helped Abahani cruise past Kalabagan Krira Chakra by seven wickets.Jubair started off with the big wicket of Hamilton Masakadza, Kalabagan’s foreign recruit and their top-scorer with 41, in the 16th over. Jubair took four wickets in his first spell, reducing Kalabagan to 116 for 6 from a promising 78 for 2. He took the last two wickets too, as Kalabagan were skittled out for 140 in 33.1 overs.An unbeaten 44 from Uday Kaul, Abahani’s Indian recruit, then guided them to the target in 28.3 overs.Over at the BKSP-3 ground in Savar, Imtiaz Hossain’s 100 helped Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club to an eight-wicket win over Cricket Coaching School.Batting first, CCS were bowled out for 177 in 49.2 overs, Pinak Ghosh top-scoring with 35. His fellow Under-19 teammates, Mohammad Saifuddin and Saeed Sarkar, also chipped in with thirties. Al-Amin Hossain and Rejaul Karim took three wickets each.Imtiaz struck 12 fours in his 140-ball knock, and shared a 106-run opening stand with Rony Talukdar (47), the highest scorer in last year’s tournament. The win came with 4.4 overs to spare.

Lost somewhat in the hubbub about Chris Rogers’ failed tour group venture was a most intriguing Australian team selection for the Kent tour match in the medieval city of Canterbury.

Daniel Brettig24-Jun-2015Lost somewhat in the hubbub about Chris Rogers’ failed tour group venture was a most intriguing Australian team selection for the Kent tour match in the medieval city of Canterbury.What the coach Darren Lehmann and the selection chairman Rod Marsh have cooked up is what amounts to a series of duels between specialist incumbents and their shadow men, while a quartet of missing players can feel rather more secure about their places in the team for the first Test in Cardiff next month.David Warner, Adam Voges, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc are all sitting this one out, leaving room for others to scrap for their places.Starting off at the top, Rogers will be opening alongside Shaun Marsh, the man who replaced him in the Caribbean after a bout of concussion. That Warner is being rested from the fixture means either his place is secure for Cardiff or that a better glimpse of Marsh is being sought, thus meaning Rogers will need to make runs to regain his berth.In the middle of the batting order, Shane Watson is set to come in at No. 5, one place ahead of his current Test spot and also one ahead of Mitchell Marsh, the young allrounder with aspirations to replace the older man as Australia’s utility player. Watson’s form has been spotty at best in recent times, and his two innings in the West Indies were sharply contrasting in terms of approach, veering from the brazen to the benign, without success.Both Watson and Marsh deliver seam-up bowling of a fast-medium pace that has a chance of succeeding in England, so it is by their batting that they can be separated. Marsh played well in the first innings of a practice match on the Isle of Wight after arriving early to England, and Watson will be in search of a score to keep himself narrowly ahead in the queue.Most selection talk entering into this trip has centred on how Australia can possibly squeeze all four of Hazlewood, Starc, Mitchell Johnson and Ryan Harris into the Test XI. By resting the former duo in Canterbury, Lehmann and Marsh have allowed Johnson and Harris to re-unite with Peter Siddle as the trio who bowled so unstintingly in the 5-0 defeat of England down under in 2013-14.Siddle is now very much the understudy, but Harris and Johnson both have a little to prove this week to ensure they are in the team for the first Test. Hazlewood and Starc are rising up fast, and each demonstrated his appetite for destruction during the West Indies Tests. Johnson was a little less threatening then, though the captain Michael Clarke thought he could see a senior man working through the gears in time for the major assignment in England.”I am focused on how he is bowling right now and what I have seen today is a real positive for us – he is bowling with good pace,” Clarke said. “I thought he used the West Indies tour really well to get his rhythm back, and he spent a lot of time working on things while he was out there. That’s the skill of Mitchell now. If something doesn’t feel quite right, he can actually fix it in a game.”By his own admission, Harris bowled patchily on the Isle of Wight, but was looking far more dangerous during the team’s day-long training sessions at Merchant Taylors’ School in north-west greater London. More than anything, Harris needs overs under his belt to find the rhythm and confidence he needs to be at his best, having been somewhat underdone when he played a muted role during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series at home.Lastly, the selectors have granted Fawad Ahmed the chance to operate as the lone spinner this week, as Lyon cools his heels. While Lyon remains well ahead of Fawad in the order of preference, Australian fascination with wrist spin – and English aversion to it – will allow the former asylum seeker to turn the head of Lehmann, Marsh and Clarke with an eye-catching display. It’s up for grabs now.Australians: Michael Clarke (capt), Chris Rogers, Shaun Marsh, Steven Smith, Shane Watson, Mitchell Marsh, Brad Haddin, Mitchell Johnson, Ryan Harris, Peter Siddle, Fawad Ahmed.

تغلب فريق مانشستر يونايتد على نظيره لوتون تاون بهدف دون مقابل، ضمن منافسات الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز “البريميرليج”.

وحل لوتون تاون ضيفًا على مانشستر يونايتد ضمن منافسات الجولة الثانية عشر للدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، في مباراة أقيمت على ملعب “أولد ترافورد”.

واضطر إريك تين هاج مدرب مانشستر يونايتد لاستبدال لاعبه كريستيان إريكسن والذي تعرض للإصابة، وحل ماسون ماونت بديلاً له في الدقيقة 40.

شوط المباراة الأول لم يسفر عن أهداف، وفي الشوط الثاني، وضع فيكتور ليندلوف مانشستر يونايتد في المقدمة بهدف سجله في الدقيقة 59.

وأجرى تين هاج تبديلاً آخر في الدقيقة 68 بدخول أنتوني بديلاً لأليخاندرو جارناتشو، ثم شارك أنتوني مارسيال وفاران بدلاً من هويلوند وريجيلون في الدقيقة 79.

وجاء تبديل هويلوند أيضًا اضطراريًا حيث تعرض مهاجم مانشستر يونايتد للإصابة ولم يكمل اللقاء.

حسمت المباراة بفوز مانشستر يونايتد بهدف نظيف ليصعد للمركز السادس برصيد 21 نقطة، ويتوقف رصيد لوتون تاون عند 6 نقاط. 

ويأتي هذا الفوز بعد هزيمة مانشستر يونايتد أمام كوبنهاجن بنتيجة 4-3 في دوري أبطال أوروبا بدور المجموعات. أهداف مباراة مانشستر يونايتد ولوتون تاون

Saeed Ajmal has withdrawn himself from the Pakistan World Cup squad as his remodeled bowling action needs further remedial work before it can be officially retested

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Dec-20147:44

MacGill: Pleasing to see clampdown

Cheema replaces Moin as Pakistan manager

Naveed Cheema has been named Pakistan team manager in place of Moin Khan, who will continue to be chief selector. The PCB said that the chairman had told Moin about the governing board’s decision on doing away with dual roles and asked him to stay on as chief selector as part of the squad for the World Cup. Cheema has been Pakistan manager previously too.

Saeed Ajmal has withdrawn himself from the Pakistan World Cup squad as his remodeled bowling action needs further remedial work before it can be officially retested*.”Ajmal withdrew himself,” Shaharyar Khan, the PCB chairman, was quoted as saying by . “We didn’t want to take a risk with Ajmal’s career because latest reports suggested his elbow extension was not still within the 15 degrees allowed by the ICC despite all the remedial work on his action.”We were aware that if he took the official ICC test in a bid to make the World Cup squad and failed it he could be suspended from playing for one to two years and that would mean the end of his career.”Ajmal had been included in Pakistan’s 30-member provisional squad for the World Cup subject to him clearing his action. The final 15-man squads for the World Cup have to be announced by January 7.Ajmal will continue to work with former Pakistan offspinner Saqlain Mushtaq in Lahore, while Mohammad Hafeez will have his action unofficially tested in Chennai next week.”The PCB committee discussed the future course of action to be adopted with regard to Ajmal and Hafeez and agreed that in the case of Ajmal, further remedial work should continue in collaboration with Saqlain and a bio-mechanist in Lahore,” the PCB said. “The group was informed that significant progress had been made by Ajmal who is now working on completing his mileage with the remodelled action which shall soon be accomplished.”It was noted that Saqlain and Mushtaq Ahmed (Pakistan spin bowling coach) have both worked with Hafeez and his action should now be unofficially tested in Chennai next week.”Ajmal was banned from bowling in international cricket in September due to an illegal action. An unofficial test at the Loughborough University found Ajmal’s action for his stock delivery, the offspinner, as well his faster balls to be legal. His action for the doosra, though, was still not below the permissible 15-degree limit.Ajmal had initially been set for an official test before the ICC on December 8, but it was postponed by the PCB. The board’s illegal bowling committee was keen that Ajmal play some competitive cricket first to get used to his remodelled action. Ajmal played a couple of one-dayers this month for Pakistan A against Kenya in Lahore.Hafeez’s action was found to be illegal earlier this month. He played as a specialist batsman in the ODI series against New Zealand in the UAE.December 27, 2014 15:50 GMT: This piece was updated with the news of Saeed Ajmal’s withdrawal and Shaharyar Khan’s quotes