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Bayern Munich forward Luis Diaz lit up with joy when handed a customised PlayStation 5 controller dedicated to his late friend and former Liverpool teammate, Diogo Jota. The Colombian, who shared a close relationship with the Portuguese attacker during their time together at Anfield, was visibly touched by the red controller, which carried the engraving “Diogo J” on the back.

An enduring friendship built at Anfield

Diaz and Jota forged their connection at Liverpool, pulling on the famous red shirt side by side 73 times. Together, they played key roles at Merseyside and lifted the Premier League trophy under Arne Slot, cementing themselves as part of an unforgettable chapter in Anfield history. Away from the glare of competition, their relationship flourished too, with shared interests, especially in video games.

AdvertisementWatch the clipDiaz's heartfelt Supercup celebration

When Diaz made his competitive debut for Bayern Munich in the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup earlier this summer, he found a poignant way to honour Jota. After Harry Kane opened the scoring against VfB Stuttgart, the winger added Bayern’s second by rising to head home a Serge Gnabry cross. Instead of a standard celebration, Diaz paused to emulate Jota’s trademark video-game pose near the byline. 

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Getty Images SportFocus turns to Hamburg clash

Diaz is expected to feature when the Bavarians host Hamburger SV at the Allianz Arena on Saturday evening.

A week on from the start of the new Premier League season and Arsenal finally look ready for the challenge ahead.

It had been a slow pre-season for the Gunners but a 3-0 win over Bilbao has calmed the nerves, particularly after Viktor Gyokeres opened his account in the red and white.

A series of matches both on foreign soil and at the Emirates Stadium had left supporters feeling frustrated at a lack of change, but they got change on Saturday where the forward line certainly looked more potent.

Kai Havertz even got on the scoresheet, presenting Mikel Arteta with a dilemma over who to pick at centre forward next weekend when they face Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Before then, Arteta and Andrea Berta may hope to get another signing across the line.

Arsenal's transfer plans before September 1st

With Noni Madueke and Gyokeres signed, Arsenal have ticked off two of their biggest priorities this summer: sign some backup and competition for Bukayo Saka, and sign a new striker.

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However, there’s a lingering feeling that the Gunners need more in their forward line.

Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard went goalless through pre-season and question marks are being raised again about the quality of the options on the left-hand side of Arsenal’s attack.

As a result, Eberechi Eze’s name is once again doing the rounds and according to one report, a deal now looks closer than ever.

That’s according to Football Transfers who report this weekend that Eze is ‘closing in’ on a move to the Emirates.

Financial terms have already been agreed between Arsenal and Palace with Arteta’s side set to pay a total fee of £55m to Palace for the England star, with £30m set to come upfront. That’s lower than Eze’s reported £68m release clause.

Talks over the structure of the remainder of the instalments are ongoing but it’s not thought as though that will be a major sticking point.

Why Eze could be Arsenal's new Emile Smith Rowe

Let’s cast our minds back to the early years of Arteta’s reign in London. The years are 2021 and 2022 and it’s safe to say that it’s not entirely rose for the Spaniard.

However, Saka and Smith Rowe (you know how the song goes) came along and acted as the club’s saviours.

The latter may have only scored four senior goals in 2020/21 but came alive in 2021/22, scoring ten times in 33 league outings for the club.

A product of Hale End, he was adored by Arsenal fans and his crafty, clever skills won hearts from all corners of the Emirates.

We all know how it ended for the England international with his injury woes ultimately seeing him join Fulham last summer, but he certainly has similar attributes to Eze.

Not only can both players feature from the left wing, but they’re also excellent attacking midfielders who are capable of scoring goals. In 2024/25, Eze netted 14 in all competitions, with eight goals coming from 34 Premier League appearances.

To really rubberstamp the similarities, we’ve compared how Eze performed last season with Smith Rowe’s best term at Arsenal.

Goals

0.47

0.28

Assists

0.09

0.28

Shots

1.88

3.47

Key passes

1.41

2.01

Progressive passes

3.99

3.37

Shot-creating actions

3.15

4.69

Progressive carries

3.05

2.40

Successful take-ons

1.50

2.33

Carries into final 3rd

2.07

1.67

As far as the numbers are concerned, there are some notable differences during their peak seasons so far in English football.

Smith Rowe looked like the more prolific goalscorer while Eze, who is a “magician” in the words of Micah Richards, was more creative.

Ultimately, though, they share the same sort of style. They like to carry possession, beat their marker and influence play from similar zones in the final third of the pitch.

Smith Rowe captivated Arsenal fans with his running style and ability to glide past players. Eze shares that trait and would no doubt become a quick fan favourite if he traded Selhurst Park for the Emirates.

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Ghulam and Rizwan added 81, but Pakistan were eventually out for 211 on opening day

Danyal Rasool26-Dec-2024South Africa did to Pakistan what they always do to Pakistan at Centurion, blitzing them with the ball in the second hour of the first session before skittling them out for 209. Corbin Bosch and Dane Paterson cashed in after a superb opening hour of bowling from Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen, which openers Shan Masood and Saim Ayub rode their luck to survive. A couple of partnerships for Pakistan were more than offset by the wickets Paterson, who ended up with five, and Bosch, took in clumps, and just after the third session began, Pakistan had folded for 209, Kamran Ghulam’s half-century the only real source of resistance. Pakistan responded gamely with the ball in hand, puncturing South Africa with three wickets, but having added 82, South Africa will feel they have had the better of the day.The story of the opening session changed the moment Temba Bavuma through the ball to debutant Bosch. He began with a loosener well outside off stump. Masood, who had been forced to deal with an unerring fourth stump all of the first hour, had his eyes light up as he slashed at it, with a thick outside edge carrying to Marco Jansen at third slip to give him a first-ball wicket.All of a sudden, the good balls that kept missing edges started to find them. Paterson nipped one away to Ayub, who was uncharacteristically defensive, accumulating a painstaking 14 off 35 balls. It kissed the outside edge, and both openers were back in the pavilion. Paterson wasn’t done, because Babar Azam, returning to the side, also had a prod at one well outside off stump, the tentativeness of his stroke revealing his lack of confidence; it was meat and drink for the slips again.Related

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Pakistan waste opportunity to score with so much more available

KG vs KG showdown grips SuperSport Park

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With Pakistani defenses going haywire, Saud Shakeel went for the other extreme, looking to take every ball on, but it was just six deliveries before that strategy ran out of road. He gloved a hook through to the keeper, with South Africa successfully reviewing to send him on his way.It will be all the more frustrating for Pakistan after a magnificent first hour of South African bowling went unrewarded. With Kagiso Rabada and Jansen nipping it around, it was obvious why Bavuma had opted to put Pakistan in, but somehow, they had gritted out a way to see off the two leading bowlers.An 81-run stand between Ghulam, who scored an entertaining half-century, and Mohammad Rizwan looked to have dragged Pakistan out of the hole they were put in during the morning session. Rizwan and Ghulam had been building up the partnership the other side of lunch, and continued in similar vein. But with the clouds menacingly moving right overhead, the luckless Rabada was brought in for another excellent but fruitless spell. It produced the most engaging cricket of the day, with both KGs locking horns on more than one occasion; Rabada grew increasingly frustrated with Kamran Ghulam’s stubborn resistance and got close enough to tell him, with Ghulam responding in less than family-friendly terms to go back to the bowling crease.Kamran Ghulam was out for 54 off 71•AFP/Getty ImagesWith the crowd engaged, Ghulam edged one to the slips that Jansen shelled, and brought up his half-century, but South Africa would not be denied. Ghulam slogged Paterson, only to top-edge him to fine leg, where none other than Rabada stood to take the catch that sent a full SuperSport Park into a frenzy.One wicket brought more for South Africa before lunch, and so it proved again. Rizwan nicked off in the next Bosch over before Salman Ali Agha and Aamer Jamal set about another rebuild. With ten minutes to tea, the duo was closing in on another 50-partnership, but one more South African burst would prove the knockout blow.South Africa had put down a couple of chances in the slips off the outside edge, so Bosch found the inside edge of Jamal as he chopped on, before a surprise bouncer from Paterson saw the back of Agha.Once Pakistan had wrapped up, there was enough time for the story of the day to be rewritten, and Khurram Shahzad threatened to do precisely that when he cut Tony de Zorzi in half with perhaps the ball of the day. Constantly threatening both edges of the bat, he found Ryan Rickleton’s outside edge to reduce South Africa to 24 for 2, and wrest momentum back to take into the second day.His peers, however, couldn’t sustain that quality, and South Africa settled. Aiden Markram has been under fire lately for getting out after getting in, and was brave enough to be positive all the same, never letting Pakistan put too much pressure on the batters. That was crucial, especially with Tristan Stubbs looking less than assured at the crease. His manner of dismissal, though was unfortunate, as one appeared to hit a crack and make a beeline for his front shin, giving Pakistan encouragement to take from a day that, thanks to Paterson and Bosch, South Africa will claim as theirs.

With deadline day approaching, Manchester City are now reportedly eyeing a move to hijack Liverpool’s pursuit of a defensive reinforcement that John Stones once dubbed “great”.

Man City commence Donnarumma talks

It could be a busy week for the Citizens, who were returned to reality by Tottenham Hotspur in typical fashion on Saturday afternoon. Reports are indicating that several moves could still take place, both when it comes to incomings and outgoings, with Gianluigi Donnarumma just one name that could be on the way before the end of the month.

As reported by Fabrizio Romano, Manchester City have now agreed personal terms with the Italian and opened negotiations with Paris Saint-Germain over a deal worth less than their initial €50m (£43m) asking price.

The impressive shot-stopper played a starring role for the French club last season as they secured a historic treble which included a dominant Champions League win.

Whilst Donnarumma needs little introduction, replacing Ederson will be no easy task. The Brazilian is reportedly edging closer and closer towards a late switch to Galatasaray, having so far lost out on a place in Pep Guardiola’s side to the young James Trafford.

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He may not be the only one to depart, either. Manuel Akanji was also left out against Tottenham at the weekend as reports continue to arrive that he could join Galatasaray alongside Ederson.

Alas, like in the case of their goalkeeper, City have a backup plan in mind if the Swiss international decides to depart and it’s one that could reportedly leave Liverpool scrambling for options.

Man City now eyeing Guehi hijack

As reported by The Daily Star, Manchester City are now eyeing a late hijack to sign Marc Guehi ahead of Liverpool if both Nathan Ake and Akanji leave this month.

The Crystal Palace defender, who won with Palace at the Etihad in 2021, looked likely to join Liverpool in the event of his departure this summer, but amid the Reds’ reluctance to meet the defender’s £35m asking price, the door has seemingly been left ajar for City to swoop in.

The deal is certainly there to be done for the England international too. With the defender into the final year of his Selhurst Park contract, chairman Steve Parish recently told reporters: “If Marc wants to sign a contract, he can stay. If he doesn’t, then we have to look at it. It’s a difficult situation.”

Minutes

3,059

2,014

Tackles Won

1

0.54

Ball Recoveries

4.29

4.60

Successful Aerial Duels

2

1.34

A player who Stones described as “great” during England’s Euro 2024 campaign last summer, it’s clear to see why those at the Etihad have already earmarked Guehi as a late target should others depart this month.

"Off the pitch I'm a calm guy that just wants to have fun and enjoy my life," Erling Haaland told Time Magazine in July. "On the pitch I want to attack like a Viking." The Manchester City striker's love for the Scandinavian seafaring conquerors is well known. He dressed up as a Viking at a Halloween party just a few months after joining City. And while speaking to the prestigious American current affairs magazine, he zeroed in on his fascination with them.

"First of all the history is incredible," Haaland said of the Vikings, while being quick to point out "Of course a lot of things that they did were not good". Leaning in to his subject of interest, he explained: "I like the mentality, like 'I don't care about anything, we're just gonna go there and get the job done'. 

"Also that they were stronger and better than everyone, literally. That's what I love. And also the togetherness, they had an incredible bond between each other when they were sailing across the whole world. The Vikings were inspiring."

And right now Haaland is in full Viking mode. He has 12 goals in his last seven games for club and country and is fresh from conquering Manchester United and pillaging another Champions League record with his header against Napoli. And it is in this ransacking mood that he charges into battle against Arsenal, with vengeance on his mind…

Getty Humbling experience

Haaland will not need reminding of what happened on his last visit to the Emirates Stadium. City were thrashed 5-1 by Arsenal, suffering their worst away defeat in almost eight years. Haaland was far from the worst performer in a City shirt and he had scored their equaliser before a second-half onslaught from the Gunners. 

And yet his name was associated with the thrashing more than any other City player as Arsenal fans had mockingly chanted "Stay humble" at him in reference to him saying the same thing to Mikel Arteta after City's last-gasp equaliser in the previous fixture between the two sides. 

To make matters worse, 18-year-old Myles Lewis-Skelly had mockingly imitated his 'lotus' pose after scoring Arsenal's third goal, payback for Haaland asking 'Who the f*** are you' amid the ill-tempered scenes at the Etihad. 

AdvertisementGetty Images Sport'They got me'

He may not come up against Lewis-Skelly as the left-back is yet to start a game this season after being usurped at left-back by Riccardo Calafiori, but the image of the upstart teenager mocking the world's best striker, which went around the world, will be fresh on everyone's mind on Sunday.

"They won the game 5-1, so yeah, they got me," he said to Time of that day. The mocking he received from the fans and his younger opponent, however, did not make him regret uttering 'stay humble' in the first place. He insisted: "I think it’s an important phrase, which a lot of people should use, including myself. It’s one of the most important things, as individuals, to do." 

And in keeping with that stance, he had no issue with Lewis-Skelly mocking him as Neymar and PSG had done in 2020, his first season in the limelight. "If he wanted to use that moment to mock me, that’s fair enough for him. Whatever he wants to do, he can do."

GettyBecomh a goal 'expert'

Another interesting insight from Haaland in the Time interview was when he explained how he got so good at scoring. "I remember when I scored one goal, it was such a good feeling in me that I was like, ‘I want to become an expert on this'. Get this feeling again and again." 

Haaland quickly honed his expertise. At the U20 World Cup in 2019, before most fans knew who he was, he scored nine goals in one game against Honduras. Yes, nine. And he was disappointed that it was not 10. He has barely slowed down since then, netting eight times in his first six Champions League games with RB Salzburg. He left the Austrian side in January 2020 with 29 goals in 27 matches. 

He has continued to find the net with remarkable regularity. He plundered 86 goals in 89 games for Borussia Dortmund and although his strike rate has slowed down ever so slightly for City, the numbers are still frightening. His header against Napoli took him on to 130 goals in 151 games. He has 90 goals in 101 Premier League games while he is averaging more than a goal per game in the Champions League.

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AFPUnderstanding his team-mates

And yet he claims there is no real method to his goalscoring madness. "For me the most important thing is to be free in the mind and not think too much," he told last week. "I cannot think of scoring goals, it's not how it works. I don't visualise, I don't think that's good. People ask me about celebrations and all of that, I don't plan anything because you shouldn't plan anything. You should try and be free in your mind and try and be ready if you get a chance."

One thing Haaland does try and do is think about how to get chances, which means getting in the mind of his team-mates. "The most important thing is to get a chance as a striker. If you're not coming to chances that's a problem," he said. "For me the most important thing for me is to get the chances. When I come to chances there's a big chance I will score goals." 

"It’s about trying to understand which player is on the ball and try to be clear in your mind. When it's [Kevin] De Bruyne I just need to think where he's gonna shoot in and I have try to be there so he can hit me. If Bernardo is on the ball I have to think like him, if it's someone else I think like them."

“To have him back and to have him fit and excited about playing is a real win for English cricket,” Brendon McCullum says

Danyal Rasool02-Mar-20252:23

Knight: Livingstone missed a ‘great opportunity’ to score big

There are few positives from what has been, even by England’s recent ODI standards, a disastrous Champions Trophy campaign. But according to Brendon McCullum, there were glimmers amidst the darkness.The one that shone brightest was the performance, as well as the fitness, of fast bowler Jofra Archer. He bowled his allotted quota in each of the first two games, as well as nine of the 29.1 England needed to send down in Karachi. He did so with decent pace, picking up wickets in each game, and was the pick of the English bowlers by a distance despite South Africa’s romp to victory.”He’s been out of competitive cricket for a couple of years,” McCullum said. “I think it’s taken just a little bit of time to get that rhythm of gameplay back but I think he’s been really good. He’s bowled high pace, he’s played a lot of cricket, he’s been able to get significant workload under his belt throughout this time and we’ve seen moments of how great Jofra is, even tonight, a couple of wickets he took the other night against Afghanistan, three with the new ball.”We know how great a player Jofra is at the very top of his game and to have him back and to have him fit and excited about playing is a real win for English cricket.”Related

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Look past Maharaj at your own peril

Archer’s use of the wicket as well as the new ball was perhaps what stood out. He prised out Travis Head early with a sharp catch off his own bowling, but with little swing on offer, didn’t go searching, keeping things tight in his first spell. Against Afghanistan, each of his first 12 deliveries were banged in short before he changed it up in his third over, taking two wickets in five balls. And with Mark Wood out injured in a game with nothing on it and an impossibly low total against a rampant South Africa to defend, Archer was the quickest bowler from either side, cleaning up openers Ryan Rickelton and Tristan Stubbs in his first spell.With one English eye perpetually on the Ashes, his ability to tolerate increased workloads is bound to raise hopes he can feature prominently in the five-match series at the end of this year. McCullum looked to balance hope with guarded optimism.”We’ve got to make sure that we’re always doing the right thing by Jof as well and understand the risks involved,” McCullum said. “But I’m pretty sure he’s pretty keen to play Test cricket and you look at someone like Jof – and if you can add him to the battery of fast bowlers you’re trying to build, that can only strengthen this squad. We’ll wait and see, but overall, I’m really pleased with where Jof’s at and it’s great to see him back playing and injury free at the moment.”Jofra Archer made a mess of Ryan Rickelton’s stumps•ICC/Getty ImagesThat, however, is where the positives end. It has been little short of a horror start to his all white-ball stint for McCullum, winning three and losing eleven games, including the last seven on the bounce: England’s longest such streak in ODI cricket since 2001. While McCullum said on Thursday England may quite plausibly have won each of their first two games, the crushing loss at South Africa’s hands has left little doubt about the true state of their current ODI side.”We weren’t good enough across, obviously very disappointed,” McCullum said. “We had high hopes of being able to finish the tournament with a bit of a bang, but we were very poor and we’ve got a lot of work to do. We’ll put our thinking caps on over the next few weeks and start to try and navigate our way through what an improvement looks like across our white-ball cricket and make sure we try and be pretty thorough with that and work out a way that we can get ourselves back to where we should be.”While they do have just under three months until their next ODI, the scale of the rebuild has left McCullum with much to ponder. It begins with appointing a new captain after Jos Buttler quit on Thursday, citing the drop in results.His final innings as captain was a pale shadow of the player who will likely go down as the greatest white-ball batters in England’s history. It ended when he tentatively pushed a Lungi Ngidi delivery straight to mid-off; he had scored 21 in 43 deliveries without hitting a single boundary – his second-longest such innings without sending a ball to the fence.McCullum reiterated his plans to keep Buttler around England’s white-ball side. “We still see Jos as obviously a big player within that and he’s got a huge role to play. He cared so much about it and he admittedly said that he wasn’t able to get the best out of the guys at this stage. I thought it was a brave decision to make and it gives us now an opportunity to be able to start to plot and plan our way forward.”I’ll get home in the next couple of days and start having some conversations with Rob Key and the guys at the ECB about who the right person is for us to put in that position of white-ball captain. Then we assess how to learn some of the lessons that we’ve been dealt on this tour and in this tournament to ensure that we’re a lot more competitive than what we’ve been.”

Fabrizio Romano has tipped Tottenham to sign two forwards, with chairman Daniel Levy and co making a decision on Richarlison’s future at the club.

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Spurs boss Thomas Frank has now welcomed playmaker Xavi Simons to N17 from RB Leipzig, after Spurs struck an overnight agreement for the Dutchman worth around £52 million.

After missing out on both Eberechi Eze and Morgan Gibbs-White in humiliating fashion, Simons’ arrival comes as a much-needed boost to inject positivity ahead of what will be an interesting last three days of the window.

The 22-year-old bagged 11 goals and eight assists over 33 appearances in all competitions for Leipzig last season, despite missing a chunk of the early-campaign with ankle ligament damage.

Mohammed Kudus

£55 million

Kota Takai

£5 million

Mathys Tel

£30 million

Joao Palhinha

Loan

Kevin Danso

£21 million

Xavi Simons

£52 million

Bundesliga expert Kevin Hatchard has alluded to sources in Germany claiming that Simons has attitude concerns, but this may just be paper talk, and supporters can expect a “silky” new playmaker capable of making a serious contribution in the final third.

In terms of other business that Levy, Johan Lange, CEO Vinai Vinkatesham and Fabio Paratici could conduct before the September 1 cut off time, it has been widely reported that Tottenham want a new defender and a new winger too.

Spurs were in lengthy talks to sign Savinho from Man City, but must now look at alternatives as Pep Guardiola’s side adopt a firm ‘not for sale’ stance.

The Lilywhites are still actively pursuing a centre-back too, with City’s Manuel Akanji on their list of targets heading into deadline day.

Tottenham tipped to sign two forwards with Richarlison decision made

Speaking on Men in Blazers earlier this week, trusted transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano has said that he expects Tottenham to sign two new options up front before the end of the season, with Levy and co making a call on Richarlison’s future.

It’s actually good news for Spurs supporters, because Romano expects Frank’s side to sign a forward duo on top of Richarlison – who won’t be going anywhere this summer.

The 28-year-old, after a difficult 2024/2025 marred by injury, is beginning to hit his stride just in time – with Richarlison having one eye on a place in Brazil’s 2026 World Cup squad.

The former Everton star bagged a brace against Burnley, including an early goal of the season contender, and assisted Brennan Johnson for Tottenham’s opening goal in their outstanding 2-0 win at the Etihad last weekend.

Dele Alli has reportedly settled an alleged £6,000 debt after a jeweller took to Instagram to publicly call him out over a bracelet that hadn't been paid for. The former Tottenham and Everton star was accused of failing to han over cash in a fiery video by rapper-turned-jeweller Ard Adz, but hours later the situation appeared to be resolved after the one-time England international made the payment.

Dele accused of owing money to jeweller

Dele was accused of owing £6,000 to Ard Adz, who claimed the money was for a bracelet bought in Hatton Garden, London. The jeweller posted a furious video on Instagram calling out the former England star and appealing to his followers for help. Screenshots of messages later showed that Alli had settled the alleged outstanding amount.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportAdz claims that Dele has since settled

Adz posted a passionate video on social media, saying: "Can someone please, please message Dele Alli to get me my £6,000, please! He's meant to have footballer money, please. I just got out of jail four months ago, I need that butter (money). Alli, what you doing? I thought you were on the right wing, left wing, I can't see you brother. My £6,000, please!"

He then provided an update after claiming the situation had been resolved, adding: "Update: Dele has now paid, allow him now guys & thanks for making him pay. Internet is undefeated."

Dele struggling after failed Como stint

The incident comes at a difficult time for Dele, who recently saw his contract at Como terminated after just one appearance. His only game ended in a red card just minutes after coming on as a substitute, which led manager Cesc Fabregas to confirm he was not part of the club's plans. Once regarded as one of Europe's brightest midfielders, the 29-year-old is now a free agent once again.

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GettyWhat the future holds for Dele?

Dele faces an uncertain future as he searches for a new club following his release. His career has been on a steep decline since leaving Tottenham, and off-field issues have only added to his struggles. With no immediate suitors, the midfielder may need to prove his commitment and fitness before securing another opportunity.

Rahul made the most of a pitch where runs were hard to come by as he scored his first half-century of the season

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Apr-20252:08

Jaffer: Rahul’s takedown of Noor was the key for DC

KL Rahul carried Delhi Capitals on his shoulders with a high-quality half-century as the visitors posted 183 for 6 at Chepauk. Opening the batting in the absence of Faf du Plessis, he was able to pace his innings really well and more than that, he took down one of Chennai Super Kings’ main weapons. Rahul vs the IPL’s purple cap holder, Noor Ahmad, was 20 runs in nine balls with two fours and a six.Initially, Rahul (77 off 51) had to take some time to come to terms with a pitch that was dry and therefore prevented the ball from coming onto the bat. He was 25 off 20 with one four and one six at the end of nine overs. But once he decided to pull the trigger, even CSK’s best bowlers were no match for him. He took Noor, Matheesha Pathirana and Ravindra Jadeja for boundaries over the 11th, 12th and 13th overs as DC were put on course for their total. Two of those boundaries were mistakes by the bowler – Noor and Pathirana putting the ball in the slot – and all innings long Rahul was looking for those mistakes.Mukesh Choudhary was taken down as well. He was the only bowler that Rahul took risks against, because he had identified him as CSK’s weak link. Rahul reverse scooped him twice. He took further liberties when he moved across his crease at the start of the 19th over and swept a ball from the off side wide line to the square leg boundary. Pathirana closed the innings with two wickets in his final over, including Rahul’s, but by then the score had reached more than competitive levels. Khaleel Ahmed with 2 for 25 was CSK’s best bowler.

Celtic are back from the international break and find themselves preparing for a tough run of fixtures, including the start of their Europa League campaign under Brendan Rodgers.

The Irishman has spoken in frank fashion about the frustration he faced during the summer transfer window, claiming his side ‘weren’t ready’ for their Champions League playoff match against Kairat Almaty after the Parkhead hierarchy failed to push critical deals over the line.

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Nevertheless, the Bhoys brought in ten new players by the end of the market period before Kelechi Iheanacho was released from his Sevilla contract to sign as a free agent.

However, the lack of synergy between the Celtic board and Rodgers has been on show for all to see, and one of his lesser-spotted summer signings has now sent an intriguing social media message that may explain his own situation in a little more detail.

Celtic loanee Jahmai Simpson-Pusey sends cryptic Instagram message

Taking to Instagram, Celtic summer signing Jahmai Simpson-Pusey changed his profile picture on the platform to reflect a message that said ‘Delays teach patience, which prepares you for blessings’ after failing to make a first-team appearance since arriving on loan from Manchester City.

Becoming the Hoops’ eighth addition of the window, the 19-year-old has also been left out of the Bhoys’ Europa League squad by Rodgers alongside Callum Osmand, Shin Yamada and Hayato Inamura, causing some to question why he was acquired in the first place.

For now, Lennoxtown product Dane Murray appears to be ahead of Simpson-Pusey in the pecking order and is usually first in line to come off the bench when Rodgers decides to shuffle his backline around.

Regardless, there is a long season ahead for the reigning Scottish Premiership champions, and there is every chance that the England youth international could have a part to play as his loan club pursue another domestic treble.

What has Brendan Rodgers said about Jahmai Simpson-Pusey?

Shortly after his arrival in Glasgow was confirmed, Rodgers admitted to the press before his side defeated Aberdeen in August that Simpson-Pusey may be some way off featuring regularly due to his lack of a full-intensity pre-season.

He stated via Sky Sports: “He’s a little bit away in fairness to Jahmai. He’s been training with the small group at Manchester City and isn’t quite up to speed yet. You can see his quality straightaway and it’s just going to take a bit of time in terms of his fitness and the intensity.”

Clearly, Simpson-Pusey is a man with plenty of talent, given he claimed the Premier League 2 Player of the Season award last term and also made six appearances in the first-team under Pep Guardiola.

Now, he faces the challenge of nailing down a regular slot in Celtic’s backline, which may require persistence as the Manchester-born man looks to unseat the likes of Liam Scales, Cameron Carter-Vickers and Auston Trusty over the coming months.