Aston Villa are lining up a long-term deal for a bright young gem at Villa Park as Unai Emery looks to the future in the West Midlands, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

Aston Villa fall to defeat at Forest

Despite sitting fifth in the Premier League with 22 points on the board from their opening 11 fixtures, Aston Villa fell to their first defeat in all competitions since late September, with goals from Ola Aina and Orel Mangala sealing their fate away to Nottingham Forest at the City Ground.

Pundit Dion Dublin slammed his old side for the role that Emery's high line played in their eventual downfall in Nottingham, stating to Match of the Day 2 via Birmingham Live: "Villa’s high line, for me, is absolutely ridiculous. They have been brilliant of late, let’s get it right – one of the form teams and Unai Emery has done great – however, when you play a high line one yard away from the halfway line, you’re going to be in trouble more often than not."

Left to rue their own individual errors, Aston Villa boss Emery refused to be too downtrodden when discussing the loss in his post-match press conference, telling Sky Sports via Nottinghamshire Live: "It is very hard to accept the result. We made some mistakes. We conceded early, but for another 80 minutes we played with a good mentality, to try and score."

He then added: "The second half they scored another early goal. After this we were controlling the game, creating chances and getting corners. It is very difficult when the other team score first. They defended deeply."

The Villans will have a chance to rectify the outcome against Nottingham Forest on Thursday, where they face AZ Alkmaar in the Europa Conference League at Villa Park, where a win will put Aston Villa in a great position to progress to the knockout phase of the competition.

Aston Villa's next five fixtures – all competitions

Competition

Opponent

Venue

Europa Conference League

AZ Alkmaar (H)

Villa Park

Premier League

Fulham (H)

Villa Park

Premier League

Tottenham Hotspur (A)

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Europa Conference League

Legia Warsaw (H)

Villa Park

Premier League

Bournemouth (A)

Vitality Stadium

Aston Villa prepare contract talks with Rory Wilson

According to transfer expert Romano, Aston Villa are now preparing discussions with young star Rory Wilson over a new long-term deal at Villa Park.

Taking to social media platform X, he stated: "Excl: Aston Villa are prepared to discuss new five-year contract for 2006 born striker Rory Wilson. #AVFC want to extend his stay beyond summer 2025. Wilson has scored 15 goals in 9 games so far this season, he’s on the radar of many clubs."

Wilson joined Aston Villa from Rangers in the summer of 2022 and received high praise from former Villans academy manager Mark Harrison, who said of the youngster upon his arrival: "He is a goalscorer with a lot of potential, having also represented Scotland at international youth level."

Ringing true, the Girvan-born man has notched 11 goals in his first seven appearances in the Under-18 Premier League and now looks likely to be rewarded for his exciting potential (Wilson statistics – Transfermarkt).

Keith Barker has rejected the offer of a new contract at Warwickshire and is set to join Hampshire on a two-year deal

George Dobell25-Sep-2018Keith Barker has rejected the offer of a new contract at Warwickshire and is set to join Hampshire on a two-year deal.Barker, the left-arm allrounder, has claimed 357 first-class wickets at a cost of 25.51 since his debut for the club 2009. He was a crucial part of the Warwickshire attack that won the County Championship in 2012 – he claimed 56 first-class wickets at a cost of 20.82 – and won selection for the England Lions. With the variation he offers and footmarks creating rough for spinners, he has remained a key man in the first-class side.He has also hit six first-class hundreds and averages 28.64 with the bat. It is expected Hampshire will announce his acquisition on Wednesday. Warwickshire are also understood to have offered a two-year deal.Barker was a late entrant to the county game. Having originally pursued a career as a footballer – he represented England Uner-19s and was with Blackburn Rovers for a while – he did not play for Warwickshire until he was 22.He has rarely featured in the limited-overs teams in recent times, however – he did not play a single T20 match this season – and, aged 32 next month, is now likely to finish his career with Hampshire.

Everton are a club steeped in rich tradition, and as such are one of England's most historic and successful clubs of all time.

However, things have not been easy for the Toffees of late, who saw the initial promise of Farhad Moshiri's investment swiftly devolve into a Financial Fair Play crisis, with numerous clubs baying for their blood as they seek compensation for the relegation they suffered, and that the Merseyside outfit continue to avoid.

The last two Premier League campaigns have been some of the most painful, anxiety-inducing years in their 144-year history, with a dramatic comeback against Crystal Palace first saving them, before a narrow 1-0 win on the final day of last season seeing them come as close as they ever have been to the drop.

This is something Sean Dyche will be absolutely desperate to avoid in the new term, having admitted that such a period took a true toll on the former Burnley man: "Certainly last season was by the far the hardest in my football life, you can’t tell every story but what we were having to sort out inside, trying to win games, all the speculation, all the noise, going down to the last game of the season, injuries, everything that could go wrong, going wrong.

“Very, very difficult to manage, to bring that all together and still get a team out there and win enough games as it happens which we did do. "

With a number of tricky fixtures coming up, the 52-year-old tactician will be desperate to navigate them carefully to ensure they do not find themselves floundering in the relegation zone before the busy Christmas schedule starts.

Who is Everton's worst-ever signing?

Dyche walked into a poisonous atmosphere at Goodison Park, with Frank Lampard's dismissal coming roughly a year after he had succeeded the doomed tenure of Rafa Benitez.

The Spaniard set the club back years, and it was ultimately his tenure that plunged them into the relegation battlers they remain today. However, the failures within Everton ran much deeper than the former Liverpool man, and stretch back to Moshiri's 2016 acquisition of a 49.9% stake.

Promising to inject his fortune into the club, many thought that the Iranian billionaire would mark the new lease of life they had been craving after years of slugging it out under a financial curtain with David Moyes. However, fans seemingly never knew how good they had it with the Scotsman.

Although most will rush to lambast Benitez for what he did to the Toffees, it could be argued that it was Ronald Koeman who truly set the parts in motion for a thoroughly unsuccessful few years, marred further by his thoughtless transfers.

Whilst the likes of Yannick Bolasie, Gylfi Sigurðsson, Davy Klaasen and more might stand out as the club's worst piece of recent business, Michael Keane is one flop who perhaps goes under the radar due to his ability to slip into the background, quietly draining the club of huge funds and struggling whenever he is entrusted with game time.

The 30-year-old marked a huge acquisition during the 2017 summer of revolution and has gone on to feature 205 times since that switch. However, it has been far from a profitable venture, with the defender routinely struggling. Last season saw him make just ten league starts, and yet he still managed to concede two penalties and make one error leading to a shot.

The year before then saw him make two errors directly resulting in goals for the opposition.

The quintessential confidence player, he has struggled to cope in the high-pressure environment that their recent relegation troubles have cultivated. As such, he was even lambasted by pundit Trevor Sinclair, who told talkSPORT’s breakfast show [8:25, April 4th 2022] that he was a "liability".

Such a notion has pretty much summed up Keane's time on Merseyside, and yet he remains within the squad, one of the numerous pieces of dead wood they have been unable to shift over the years. However, his persistence to stick around makes him stand out among the other failures, and thus builds a strong case for him being their worst-ever acquisition in recent memory.

How much did Everton pay for Micheal Keane?

Whilst the defender's performances on the pitch alone would make his move a failed one, the money invested only exacerbates what has been a truly terrible deal.

2017 marked a huge summer for Koeman, who had just led his team into Europe in their first season under his leadership. He had earned a spending spree, but few could have predicted that he would waste such vast amounts of money on so many duds.

The Dutchman would make two club-record fee deals in one window, the first being Keane for a cool £30m sum. That was later blown out of the water by Sigurdsson, who would cost a further £45m. Other key names who joined were Wayne Rooney, Jordan Pickford and Sandro Ramirez, all of whom enjoyed hugely fluctuating success.

How much is Micheal Keane worth now?

To make matters worse, those consistently underwhelming displays have unsurprisingly contributed to a sharp decrease in value, with the miserable figure only set to continue dwindling as his contract lessens and his influence becomes next to nothing.

Michael Keane's years at Everton	Market Value	% change
2022	€16m (£14m)	71% decrease
2021	€28m (£24m)	41% increase
2020	€20m (£17m)	53% decrease
2019	€30m (£26m)	53% increase
2018	€20m (£17m)	N/A
Valuations via Transfermarkt.

As such, CIES Football Observatory offers their findings on such a matter, suggesting the former Burnley dud is now worth a mere €5m (£4m). This suggests that, across the six years spent at Goodison Park, Keane has seen his value drop by £26m and counting.

Such a figure is almost certain to continue tumbling, with just two years left on his current deal.

How much does Micheal Keane earn?

To mirror such a huge price tag, an equally lofty salary was always bound to come alongside it.

As such, however, the combined fee of both transfer and wages that Keane has drained from Everton grows to a truly mouth-watering figure, made even worse given the lack of return his performances have offered.

After all, sitting on an £80k-per-week salary for those six years was bound to accumulate further debt, even if it only rose from £60k-per-week following his ludicrous 2020 contract extension. To add his £30m fee with the £21.84m wages, and in total, the bumbling defender has snagged £51.84m from the Toffees.

Mikel Arteta hasn’t faced many troubles during his time as manager of Arsenal but the last five days have been tough.

The Gunners were dumped out of the Carabao Cup in humiliating circumstances as they tasted a 3-1 defeat to West Ham at the London Stadium before losing back-to-back games on Saturday inside the cauldron of St James’ Park.

Truth be told, Arsenal were not awful against Newcastle but the manner of their 1-0 loss will be a concern.

Yes, the officials played their part with Anthony Gordon’s strike going through four minutes worth of VAR checks before being given, but Arteta’s men never looked like scoring.

Wave after wave of attack came late on and after several corners, of which Leandro Trossard failed to beat the first man, they left the north east with no points.

It is only the first time the north Londoners have lost in the Premier League this term yet they now find themselves three points off Manchester City having both played 11 matches. Arsenal have even beaten City this term. Oh how ruthless the English top-flight can be.

Beyond their position in the table now, Arteta should also be worried about the performance of some of his summer signings. Knowing the Spaniard, he will back his players but he has created a problem in David Raya and Kai Havertz.

The former didn’t cover himself in glory for the goal and in the words of Jamie Carragher, looks “absolutely all over the place” at the moment.

Kai Havertz’s stats this season

The German arrived at the Emirates Stadium a few months ago for a whopping fee of £65m. This wasn’t the way supporters imagined Granit Xhaka’s replacement arriving.

It must be stated that Havertz isn’t like Xhaka. You only need to watch a few minutes of the the former Chelsea star in action to realise that.

His slender and tall frame is something that immediately catches the eye, which when paired with Declan Rice in midfield makes for a powerful midfield. Havertz’s ability to ride a challenge and win earlier battles, therefore, are among his best strengths.

Versus fellow midfield players in Europe’s top five leagues over the last year, he ranks within the top 4% of players for aerials won. Xhaka, by comparison, is in the best 33%. The difference is evidently night and day.

That said, the Swiss leads the way for goal involvement. Had you thought of that possibility when Havertz first arrived in England, you’d have been laughed out of the Emirates. The latter was a fine player in the Bundesliga, creating and scoring goals with regularity. In the Premier League, that has been far from the case.

He is in the worst percentile of forwards in Europe for non-penalty goals over the last year, which is hardly surprising when his only strike this season came from the spot against Bournemouth.

It has been a sorry start to the season for the 24-year-old whose expensive price tag is doing him no favours.

The Germany international looks forlorn and is lacking confidence. He is frustrated and can’t seem to nail down a position. It’s a problem of Arteta’s doing, but Xhaka’s own Arsenal experience is a cautionary tale to write someone off before they’ve reached their peak.

Kai Havertz stats vs Newcastle

Truth be told Havertz wasn’t awful against the Toon on Saturday evening. In fact, with Martin Odegaard injured it gave him more freedom to roam in behind Eddie Nketiah. Did it work? Arguably not, but there were some promising signs.

According to Sofascore, the attacking midfielder drew two fouls with his clever forward play and won eight duels. Once more, that physical nature to his play caught the eye again.

However, on another day Arsenal may well have been down to ten men after a “stupid” moment – as Gary Neville criticised him – in the first half nearly let Arteta down.

Havertz, clearly frustrated by the lack of openings in the first 45 lunged in on Sean Longstaff. His right boot was inches away from making contact with the Newcastle midfielder’s shin. Had that happened, it was a straight red. Thank you and good night.

Fortunately, his trailing leg, albeit still in an aggressive manner caught the Toon player and a yellow card was brandished.

What followed was a scuffle on the touchline. Understandably so on the part of the Newcastle team but it led to three of Eddie Howe’s men being booked for their reactions. Well done Havertz, it must be said.

Touches

48

Accurate Passes

23/33 (70%)

Key Passes

0

Expected Goals (xG)

0.08

Dribble Attempts

0

Duels Won

8/16 (50%)

Possession Lost

15x

Fouls Committed

2

Stats via Sofascore.

Unfortunately, that ability to rile the opposition was about as good as it got for the former Leverkusen man.

During the course of the game, the young German lost possession of the ball 15 times, the third-highest number on the pitch behind Joelinton and Gabriel Martinelli. His pass success rate of 70% meanwhile, was only worse than two starters in red and white; Nketiah and Raya.

This was another poor night for the £280k-per-week earner and one that has only upped the pressure on his performance levels. For now, Arteta must take him out of the firing line and rely on alternative options.

Rivalry is wilting. As time marches on, this opinion is held by more and more football fans and journalists.

Roy Keane and Graeme Souness are among those in recent memory to find fault in pre-match hugging and cross-city congeniality.

In their heyday, goodwill and sportsmanship in big games was inconceivable. Instead, two-footed, red card-worthy challenges were the only appropriate welcome gift when the blue of Everton or Manchester City sunk their boots into enemy soil.

The principles of an unfashionable but traditionally accepted school of thought that football is a 'man's game' meant also that the worst crime a footballer could commit in their salad days was to join a club's rivals.

So when Mauricio Pochettino decided against returning to Tottenham Hotspur in the summer, eyebrows were raised across the country, particularly in N17, when the Argentine instead took Chelsea's vacant helm.

However, he wasn't the first to make the switch from north London to west London, or vice-versa. In this article, Football FanCast takes a look at 14 of the best players to have played for both Chelsea and Tottenham, exploring their spells at both clubs and how their controversial transfers were viewed at the time.

Clive Allen

Spurs 1984-1988; Chelsea 1991-1992

Harry Kane may have become the club's all-time record goalscorer, but he'd have been hard-pushed to topple the record for goals in a single season – an incredible 49 set by Clive Allen in 1986/87. The last of those 49 was an early goal in the 1987 FA Cup Final.

Sadly for him, it wouldn't be a final that was won by Spurs. Instead, Allen's successes in north London were down to individual accolades – the Golden Boot and PFA Player of the Year.

Nonetheless, his time in white was far more burgeoning than in blue. At Chelsea, later in his career, he only featured occasionally.

Les Allen

Chelsea 1954-1959; Spurs 1959-1965

Another Allen, this time Les, joined Tottenham from Chelsea for £20,000 in December 1959, in a deal that took Johnny Brooks to Stamford Bridge.

The striker found life tricky in west London, only featuring 44 times, but with the Lilywhites, he scored 52 goals in his first 96 appearances for the club, including 27 in their double-winning campaign, forming a lethal partnership with Bobby Smith – the pair racked up 60 goals between them as they lifted the league title and FA Cup.

Arguably, it was the greatest strike partnership White Hart Lane had ever seen.

Carlo Cudicini

Chelsea 1999-2009; Spurs 2009-2012

Italian goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini played for Chelsea between 2000 and 2009 and made a respectable 216 appearances between the sticks before joining Tottenham, a side he was mostly benched for across three uninspiring seasons.

At times, he even stooped as low as fourth-choice before he would grow fed up and leave for LA Galaxy in 2012 after making just 12 appearances.

William Gallas

Chelsea 2001-2006; Spurs 2010-2013

Not only has William Gallas played for Chelsea and Tottenham, but the Frenchman also spent much of his career in the red of Arsenal. As an ultimate London journeyman, the central defender is the first and last player to achieve such a daring feat in the Premier League era.

Starting his adventure in 'The Big Smoke' westerly at Stamford Bridge, Gallas developed partnerships with Marcel Desailly and John Terry in a squad that won back-to-back Premier League titles and a League Cup under José Mourinho's helmsmanship.

He played the best part of five years at Chelsea, but in 2006, after suggesting his wage demands weren't being met, he was included as part of the deal that saw Arsenal offload Ashley Cole in the opposite direction in return for the Frenchman's services transitioning to the Emirates Stadium.

It was later stated by the club that Gallas had threatened to score own goals if he was refused the right to leave the Blues, with the defender returning fire by saying the club 'lacked class' and 'lied' about such accusations.

Nonetheless, after a spell at Arsene Wenger's Arsenal, the same was said again about Gallas' ludicrous contract demands, and again he made himself a dislikable character after being stripped of the Gunners' captaincy.

Gallas eventually found solace just several doors up at White Hart Lane. Under Harry Redknapp, the Frenchman thrived in his dissolving years in the Premier League.

Most importantly for him, he made a full circle in London when he scored his first and only goal for Spurs against Chelsea in a 4-2 defeat in 2012/13 before being released at the end of that season.

Jimmy Greaves

Chelsea 1957-1961; Spurs 1961-1970

Noticeably, for the most part, there isn't too much hard feeling when players move between Chelsea and Tottenham. Jimmy Greaves is perhaps the greatest testament to that notion, with his playing days ensuring that he became an indomitable legend at both clubs.

Greaves began his career with the Blues and scored on his debut against Spurs. Another 131 goals followed during his time at the Bridge, and he became Chelsea's highest hat-trick scorer – with an impressive tally of 16 altogether.

Unfortunately, Chelsea's financial position forced Greaves into a premature departure after just four years at the club – but not before he scored another hat-trick in his final game, where the club also named him captain to honour his otherworldly escapades in attack.

The striker would play just 10 times for AC Milan, yet still managed to get on the scoresheet nine times before returning to London to ply his trade for Tottenham.

He marked his debut with another hat-trick against Blackpool at White Hart Lane. Furthermore, Greaves played in every round of Spurs' 1962 FA Cup win, scored the opener in the final over Burnley, and went on to become the club's highest-ever goalscorer with 266 goals (beaten only recently by Harry Kane).

Tottenham's best-ever number 10s (ranked)

Across 478 league games for Chelsea and Tottenham, Jimmy Greaves scored 344 goals, etching him into London football mythology.

Eiður Guðjohnsen

Chelsea 2000-06; Spurs 2010

Eidur Gudjohnsen is a name familiar with many, and at Chelsea, he attained legendary status as perhaps the greatest Icelandic player to have sparkled in the Premier League.

Making over 180 appearances in blue, he scored 54 goals between 2000 and 2006.

Following stints at Barcelona and Monaco, coastline jewels that further cemented his storied talents, the Iceland international joined Tottenham on loan in 2010, but he only made 11 appearances in a short period.

Neutrals might recognise the name and face from his role in the Icelandic side that reached the quarter-finals of Euro 2016 after putting Roy Hodgson's England to the sword.

Micky Hazard

Spurs 1978-85; Chelsea 1985-90

Micky Hazard was initially invited to train with Spurs when aged 14 and continued to have week-long sessions with the club until, aged 16, he moved to London to join the youth squad as an apprentice. Prone to bouts of homesickness, Hazard ran home six times during the next two years until finally settling at the club in 1978.

He is another who was part of the 1982 FA Cup run and the UEFA Cup-winning side in 1984 – with the latter featuring a Hazard spectacle when his crosses led to goals in both legs of the final against Anderlecht.

After five professional years in north London, he joined Chelsea in 1985 where he stayed for another five campaigns. His technical skills and eye for a pass became recognised in the West End. But often, Hazard was overlooked wherever he went, and so when he returned to Spurs at the end of his career under Ossie Ardiles, he pulled the curtains on a selfless episode in his life.

Glenn Hoddle

Spurs 1975-87; Chelsea 1993-95

While Gallas is the only player to have played for all three of London's most successful football clubs, Glenn Hoddle also sits in an exclusive club of his own. The Hayes-born football devotee is the only person to play and also manage both Chelsea and Tottenham.

Hoddle progressed through the Spurs youth system to become a club legend when his skill, vision and goals became a leading cause for the side's success in the 1980s. He won back-to-back FA Cups in 1981 and 1982, scoring the goals in the final and replay win over QPR.

Unlike with Gallas' move to the other side of London, Hoddle was, and still is, respected by blue and white. He moved to France in 1987 but returned to London six years later as player-manager of Chelsea, where he propelled the side to an FA Cup final, only to lose to Manchester United.

At Tottenham's helm, Hoddle experienced a pretty nondescript tenure, but he will always be remembered for his acts of service during his playing days.

Colin Lee

Spurs 1977-1980; Chelsea 1980-1987

Colin Lee, a bright-eyed and impressionable teenager in the mid-70s, joined Tottenham Hotspur in 1977 and left an everlasting impression from the start when he scored four goals on his debut in a 9-0 win over Bristol Rovers.

In the same year, he helped the Lilywhites to gain promotion back to the First Division. But upon flushing back into the second tier three years later, he signed for Chelsea for £200,000.

11 players Spurs should never have sold

With the Blues, Lee scored 36 times in 185 appearances in a West End show that pulsated between 1980 and 1987. He helped Chelsea earn top-flight consistency after securing the Second Division title in '84.

Scott Parker

Chelsea 2004-05; Spurs 2011-13

Scott Parker's Chelsea spell is hardly worth a mention. He was a part of the 2004/05 squad that won the Premier League under José Mourinho, but he only made four appearances, so he was denied any chance of a winners' medal.

The midfielder had such high hopes of a successful life at the Bridge after winning the PFA Young Player of the Year award with Charlton Athletic. However, still young, he struggled to nail down a starting spot, so left just a year after joining.

Following successful stints at Newcastle United and West Ham United, the Englishman joined Tottenham in 2011 for a believed fee of around £5.5m.

North of the River Thames, Parker was a roaring success, despite, again, not staying for long at White Hart Lane. In 2012, he was voted the club's Player of the Year before polishing his Tottenham tenancy a year later, having made 63 appearances for the club.

India looked like they would win easily after they restricted Bangladesh to 222, but Mashrafe Mortaza and his boys made the Asia Cup final go down to the very last ball

The Report by Alagappan Muthu28-Sep-20182:00

Manjrekar: Team with the inherent better ability won

From 120 for 0, they fell to 222 all out, wondering what if for part of the night and what the hell for the rest of it. Bangladesh were winning the Asia Cup… until Kedar Jadhav snatched it away from them… with his part-time offspin. what… the… hell… The pain must cut all the more deeper because they were exceptional with the ball, taking a game that had no business going down the wire all the way to the very last ball.Now there is no magic to defending low totals. It’s all about discipline. Mashrafe Mortaza and his boys understood that and simply began targeting the stumps. It was a brilliant move and with the field up – six, sometimes, seven men were saving singles all through the middle overs – the Indian dressing room started to panic.It all reached a crescendo around the 37th over. MS Dhoni was gone. Rohit Sharma was gone. Shikhar Dhawan was long gone. Jadhav was at the crease, but he was having a lot of trouble with his right hamstring, unable to hit the ball, or get off strike.The team management had a decision to make – keep the last specialist batsman out there even though he was struggling or bring him back and expose the tail. After initially asking Jadhav to stay calm and bat on, Rohit ended up calling him back. The equation read 56 runs to get off 72 balls.Ravindra Jadeja knows these situations all too well – and not always for the fondest reasons. However, in this Asia Cup, he has shown that he does have the skill to handle such high-pressure situations, carefully taking India to within 11 runs of the title. But Bangladesh dug deep again and Rubel Hossain found the left-hander’s edge. The 28-year old fast bowler was the heartbeat to an unbelievable comeback. His ten-over spell included 46 dots and two crucial wickets.There was one last twist in the tale, and at the centre of it was, again, Jadhav. He walked back to the crease in the 48th over and with unreal calm got the rest of the runs in singles. Speaking to the broadcasters after his 23 off 27 balls, he suspected he might have a grade 1 or 2 hamstring tear, but did so with a big smile on his face. He had won the cup for India. Everything else took a back seat.Kedar Jadhav is overjoyed after he gets a wicket•Associated PressIncluding Liton Das. He had made his maiden ODI century, a splendid innings not only for the quality of his strokeplay but also the calculation behind it. He attacked Jasprit Bumrah, stepping out against the fast bowler; not many batsmen try that, no one did in this tournament anyway. He kept sweeping Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravindra Jadeja. Spinners hate that shot because it turns a flighted ball outside off stump into boundary-scoring opportunity. He got to his fifty in 33 deliveries and then converted it to a hundred by the 29th over. Everything was going to plan – and a funky one at that considering Bangladesh had promoted Mehidy Hasan to open the batting for the first time in any form of cricket – first-class, List A or T20s – and came away with their best partnership for the first wicket in 27 ODIs.It is usually at this point that India turn to Jadhav. Hopeless situations are the welcome mat for him. Doing nothing more than bowling straight, he gave India the control they were so desperately searching – and as a bonus took a couple of wickets as well. Mehidy was caught at cover point, trying to force the pace and the mistake consumed Mushfiqur Rahim as well. For a clearer picture of Jadhav’s impact: Bangladesh were 116 for 0 in 20 overs. He came on. Bangladesh slumped to 62 for 5 in the next 20 overs. On a slow pitch, his non-turning, barely bouncing offbreaks are really hard to get away.Having clawed their way back, India began asserting themselves in the final stages of the innings. It didn’t matter that a centurion was still in the middle. They simply kept him off strike by turning the screws at the other end. Soumya Sarkar felt it the greatest. For the first five overs that he was in the middle, Liton could face only nine balls. Kuldeep eventually got rid of the danger man with a beautiful googly and India’s spinners seemed to have set the course for another straightforward victory. Turns out, such things are becoming rarer each time they play Bangladesh.It could all have been a lot easier if India’s middle order had a more solid look to it. But Ambati Rayudu was caught behind for 2, closing the face against a Mashrafe delivery that held its line. Dinesh Karthik was lbw to a full toss after putting on a half-century partnership for the fourth wicket. Even MS Dhoni fell to Mustafizur at a time when his presence at the crease seemed beyond vital. The No. 4 debate rages on and for some reason KL Rahul just doesn’t feature in it.Bangladesh’s middle order fared quite poorly as well, contributing four of the eight single-digit scores in the innings, and that really was where the game was lost.

Aston Villa are one point off the top four after ten Premier League matches and secured their 12th top-flight home win in succession at the weekend.

The Villans have won seven of their league games so far and Unai Emery deserves plenty of praise for the immense job he has done since taking over from Steven Gerrard last year.

He has been able to get the best out of his players and Leon Bailey is a prime example of this as the forward has finally hit his stride in the Midlands.

The stats that show Bailey's improvement

The 26-year-old whiz did not provide consistent quality at the top end of the pitch throughout the 2022/23 campaign as he struggled to make a significant impact from out wide.

Bailey ended the season with four goals and four assists in 33 Premier League outings, having started the term with Gerrard at the helm, and this was an average of one goal contribution every 4.13 games.

However, the Jamaica international already has three goals and two assists in eight top-flight clashes during the current campaign, despite only starting two of those.

This means that the ex-Bayer Leverkusen man has increased his attacking output to a goal involvement once every 1.6 games on average in the Premier League, albeit there is still plenty of football to be played before the end of the season.

Whilst Villa supporters and Emery should be delighted with his improvement, one eye could already be on a talented young ace who has the potential to be Bailey's heir – Omari Kellyman.

The stats that show why Kellyman is a bright prospect

The 18-year-old wizard is, like the current first-team ace, a left-footed forward who predominantly plays on the right flank whilst also being able to operate in a central role, which could make him a dream future replacement.

Journalist Ashley Preece lauded him as a "star in the making" last year and it is easy to see why when you look at the impact he has made on the pitch.

Kellyman managed three goals and five assists in ten Premier League 2 outings for the U21 side last season and has followed that up with five goals in four matches for the U21s in all competitions this term, which shows that he has the potential to make a big impact in the final third.

Emery handed him a huge opportunity at first-team level against Hibernian in a Europa Conference League qualifier in August and he grasped that chance with both hands.

The teenage whiz completed 100% (1/1) of his dribbles and created two chances in 90 minutes on the pitch, which was rewarded with one assist in the 3-0 win.

This performance showed that the U21 star has the ability and maturity to make an impact at senior level already, despite being 17 at the time of the match.

Now 18, Kellyman has plenty of time left ahead of him to develop and progress to a point where he is able to start for Emery's side on a regular basis.

He is a whopping eight years younger than Bailey and could patiently bide his time whilst taking any opportunities that do come his way before eventually being able to step in and become the 26-year-old gem's heir at Villa Park in the future.

Facing protests from other state associations, the BCCI has revoked the special allowance granted to Puducherry concerning outstation players.Puducherry is one of the nine new teams that the BCCI inducted into domestic cricket as per the Lodha Committee recommendations approved by the Supreme Court. Keeping in mind the unique challenge the Union Territory faced in terms of recruiting local talent, the board relaxed the rules that defined who a local player is.Originally, it was one who had a birth certificate from that state, or was an employee of an organisation in the jurisdiction of that state in the last one year, or a student of an institution in the jurisdiction of that state since August 2017. But the BCCI, with the approval of the Committee of Administrators, gave special allowance to Puducherry, permitting the registration of even those players who have only been working or studying there since August 2018.Some of the other new states objected to Puducherry being given special privileges. For several decades, the BCCI has put a cap of three outstation players, known as professionals, per team. Most times, these professionals are senior players who move out of their native state to play/mentor/coach weaker teams.Puducherry had filled their quota with the appointments of Abhishek Nayar (former Mumbai captain and allrounder), Pankaj Singh (former Rajasthan captain) and Paras Dogra (former Himachal Pradesh batsman) but still went ahead and bought more players who, until recently, had been involved with other states. Many of them were part of Puducherry’s first-ever game on Wednesday in the Vijay Hazare Trophy against Manipur, with media reports suggesting there were no local players in the XI.One of the objections came from Ratnakar Shetty, former general manager, game development at BCCI. Currently the convener of the cricket consensus committee at Uttarakhand Cricket Association as well as part of the committee of administrators at Hyderabad Cricket Association, he said eligibility rules ought to be uniform for every team participating in any tournament.”I was shocked to hear that BCCI has given special permission to include more than the (cap on the) number of outstation players in the team,” Shetty wrote in an e-mail to BCCI CEO Rahul Johri which was published by the . “This kills the spirit of the game and the rules of level playing field that was aimed when the eligibility rules were framed.”It also raises the question as to why only Puducherry has been given the special status. I am sorry to say that this decision is not in the interest of domestic cricket and will lead to lot of corrupt practices in future. It also puts all the other states where there was strict compliance to a disadvantage.”The entire purpose behind the Lodha Committee recommending that every state in India have its own cricket team was to encourage local talent to come to the fore. It is understood that though not everyone in the BCCI was convinced about allowing more than the permissible number of outstation players to Puducherry, the CoA pointed out that, for this season, the eligibility norms could be relaxed.The BCCI inducted the Cricket Association of Pondicherry as an associate member last month and told them to start registering players who fulfilled the board’s criteria – employees or students of the state since August 2017. But having just taken root, the CAP requested for more time and was told by the BCCI that it was willing to relax the rules. Accordingly, some outstation players enrolled themselves in local educational institutions or organisations in August to become eligible to play for Puducherry.However, with objections mounting, the BCCI seems to have changed its mind, revoking the special allowance to Puducherry, starting from their next match on Friday. A CAP official confirmed that a “request” had come from the board, asking them to pick only those players registered before August 31, 2017 in the XI and that they would oblige to it.

يتطلع تشابي ألونسو مدرب باير ليفركوزن الألماني، للتعاقد مع أحد لاعبي فريق ريال مدريد الإسباني.

وقاد ألونسو فريقه باير ليفركوزن لموسم استثنائي بالتتويج بالثنائية المحلية في ألمانيا، وخسر نهائي الدوري الأوروبي.

وبحسب صحيفة “ميرور” البريطانية، يرغب تشابي في ضم أردا جولر من ريال مدريد إلى باير ليفركوزن.

جولر لم يحصل على فرص كافية للمشاركة مع ريال مدريد تحت قيادة كارلو أنشيلوتي في الموسم الماضي، لكنه تألق مع منتخب تركيا في منافسات كأس أمم أوروبا “يورو 2024”.

ومع وصول إندريك وكيليان مبابي، يمكن أن يجد جولر نفسه في مأزق وتتقلص فرص مشاركته أيضًا.

وأشارت “ميرور” نقلاً عن “سبورت” الإسبانية، إلى أن باير ليفركوزن لديه اهتمام بضم جولر للفريق.

اقرأ أيضًا | ليفربول يستعد لخطوة تجاه أرنولد بعد ارتباطه بـ ريال مدريد

ليفركوزن، يواجه منافسة شديدة للتعاقد مع جولر، وقيل إن ميلان مستعد لدفع الشرط الجزائي في عقد جولر البالغ 17.5 مليون يورو وفقًا لتقارير في إيطاليا.

وأصر ريال مدريد سابقًا على أن جولر لن يذهب إلى أي مكان قبل الموسم المقبل لأنه كان جزءًا من خطط أنشيلوتي.

وردًا على سؤال حول جولر في أبريل، قال أنشيلوتي: “ليس هناك شك في أنه سيبقى هنا العام المقبل، لقد أحببت حقا سلوكه الرائع، والقتال على كل كرة”.

Leeds United are a club that have a rich history of youth production, having pumped out a steady stream of stars across numerous years now, many of which are still in circulation at the top of the game even today.

The likes of Kalvin Phillips just won a treble last season with Manchester City alongside Scott Carson, with Aaron Lennon, Danny Rose, Fabian Delph and many more all enjoying fine careers too away from Elland Road.

However, perhaps most exciting is the crop of academy graduates currently residing in Yorkshire, with Daniel Farke having already proven his willingness to throw them into action regardless of their age.

As such, the spine of his squad boasts youth around every corner, with Illan Meslier, Pascal Struijk, Ethan Ampadu and Georginio Rutter giving way to the likes of Archie Gray, Joe Gelhardt, Wilfried Gnonto and Crysencio Summerville.

It is astounding just how reliant the Whites have become on their youth, with it marking an impressive fall-back option following their relegation from the Premier League last term. Given they sit fifth after 11 games too, there is every reason to believe that such a youth-focused outfit could mount a genuine push for promotion too.

Alan Smith

284

64

2

Aaron Lennon

416

100

1

James Milner

624

144

12

Fabian Delph

204

17

7

Kalvin Phillips

64

4

4

However, whether they achieve that or not, there are some key positions that will need filling come the conclusion of this campaign.

Joe Rodon may be impressing for now, but he cannot fill Liam Cooper's boots forever, given he is set to return to his parent club Tottenham Hotspur. So, perhaps the former Norwich City boss could look to his academy once again, seeking to promote the next promising centre-back and mould him in his image.

How good was Liam Cooper?

Although injuries have riddled the Scotsman in recent years, few around Yorkshire have forgotten just how impressive the man mountain was in engineering their 2020 promotion, and the exceptional first year back in the top flight that followed.

However, in the same vein, they are also aware that things must move on, and a long-term replacement has become a matter of high priority given the lack of depth in those areas.

Whoever is drafted in must be powerful and domineering, boasting enough leadership qualities to at least offset what they would lose should their club captain move on. And yet, they also need to be able to actually play the game, feeding into their philosophy that allows them to maintain the bulk of possession without panicking on the ball.

This was no better exemplified than through Cooper's 2019/20 term, as he featured 38 times in the Championship, starring at the back. Whilst his 82% pass accuracy was hardly outstanding, it did mark a fine foundation for what was to come upon stepping up into the Premier League. Meanwhile, his 1.8 interceptions, 1.4 tackles and three clearances per game helped his side win 15 clean sheets when he featured, marking a phenomenal return for a side that would walk to the title, via Sofascore.

In fact, Marcelo Bielsa would even seek to laud the 17-cap colossus back in 2019 as he stepped up his return from injury: "He played an hour. He is in good conditions to come back to the team. He has a very good first pass, he is good in the aerial balls, he is our captain and he deserves to be our captain. When he’s inside the team he always makes the team stronger."

It was going to take something special to find someone to live up to these expectations, yet in Rodon they managed to secure the perfect heir, at least for the year.

How is Joe Rodon playing?

Having moved to Spurs from Swansea City, his knowledge of the Championship was already vast before he earned further experience in the Premier League and later Ligue 1.

It seems that this has culminated in producing one of the division's outstanding stoppers, shining as a true defensive warrior with plenty of class to remain a useful asset in the modern game.

As such, when compared to other centre-backs in the next 14 competitions most similar to the Championship, Rodon sits in the top 14% for pass accuracy, the top 10% for interceptions per 90, and the top 1% for aerials won per 90, via FBref.

His influence has been revolutionary, with Farke seeking to laud the impact of the Wales international: "We got the feeling he was prepared and we don’t have to speak about his quality, he knows this league inside out, he was rock solid when he played in this league and that was the reason Tottenham spent so much money on him.

"He has unbelievable pace and it is good when we have to defend that high in the field, it helps. He brings also aerial threat into our game, we have many smaller, not the tallest players, (it’s) also important for us in terms of set-pieces he is strong in duals and build up passes in his technique.

"Also, to find a pass, there is still a few things he can improve. I think in one or two scenes, he took a bit too much risk in terms of stepping in."

So, come May when Leeds will know their future more clearly, not only will they need a Cooper heir, but a Rodon one too. Fortunately, in Jeremiah Chilokoa-Mullen, the Whites may already have one readymade in the academy.

Who is Jeremiah Chilokoa-Mullen?

Although the 19-year-old is yet to make a senior appearance, his performances for the U21s will have certainly caught the eye.

After all, the Scotsman was ever-present for the side that achieved promotion to the Premier League 2 Division 1, having impressed throughout the campaign before missing out on automatic promotion on the final day of the season.

They were not to be denied, and Chilokoa-Mullen finished having made 15 appearances, scoring once and starring at the heart of a resolute defence.

Whilst their shared nationality helps to earn comparisons to Cooper, his own rendition of his play style offers further similarities, as he noted after penning his first professional contract: "I'm a player who reads the game quite well and I like to defend on the front foot, I want to keep learning under the coaching staff and become a better player in general.”

His ability to read the game and snuff out attacks is one that both the former Hull City stalwart and Rodon share, with his qualities sure to have only grown since that 2021 interview.

Having now earned vital experience in earning promotion too, he is surely ready for the step up into senior football, with the 6 foot 2 titan sure to be raring to go at the end of this campaign.