All posts by n8rngtd.top

Everton fans buzzing to see Gbamin and Gomes back in training

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Everton fans have taken to Twitter to express their excitement in seeing Jean-Philippe Gbamin and Andre Gomes back in training, whilst Theo Walcott was also spotted at Finch Farm.

The Englishman recently endured a head injury against Manchester City, just as Gomes has been dealing with a hip issue since the win over Wolverhampton Wanderers. Marco Silva has confirmed both the former Arsenal man and the ex-Barcelona player are fit to start against Burnley on Saturday.

Gbamin, on the other hand, appears to have been shown in a full contact session at Finch Farm, but it is doubtful we will see the Ivory Coast international play immediately, as he has been out since the second game of the season, totalling eight weeks on the sidelines.

No doubt each will be a welcomed addition to the squad, especially as Morgan Schneiderlin has struggled in the absence of the two midfielders. The Frenchman registered a 4/10 in the defeat to Sheffield United courtesy of the Liverpool Echo, shortly before he earned a 5/10 for his display against City.

After the international break, Everton will play five games in the space of just 21 days, and a big squad will surely be essential for rotation in these fixtures, especially considering there is also a Carabao Cup clash in there against Watford.

Here’s what the fans have had to say about the returning midfielders…

Liverpool fans praise Trent Alexander-Arnold on his 21st birthday

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Trent Alexander-Arnold turned 21 on Monday and fans have been pouring praise upon the youngster in recognition of his birthday, given he has already achieved a great deal in his career.

The right-back has made 97 appearances for the Reds since breaking into the side in the 2017/18 season, having initially filled in for an injured Nathaniel Clyne.

His impressive performances have seen him help Liverpool to a Champions League win as well as individual accolades such as an inclusion in the 2018/19 PFA Team of the Year, and finishing as the runner-up in the 2018 European Golden Boy.

Watch Liverpool Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

On top of that, he has also been recognised by his country with seven caps under Gareth Southgate after making a name for himself with an excellent display against Man City in the 2017/18 Champions League quarter-final, when he kept Leroy Sane quiet.

Alexander-Arnold has proved himself in several departments, too. He has contributed 23 assists for Liverpool and was part of a defence which kept the most clean sheets in the Premier League last term, with 21.

The amount of matches he has played shows he is very level-headed for a player so young, and quick-thinking too, as his corner for Divock Origi’s goal against Barcelona in the Champions League last season evidenced.

Here is some of the reaction from Liverpool fans.

Arsenal vs Aston Villa could be decided by one key battle

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Arsenal face Aston Villa on Sunday in their sixth Premier League game of the season as they look to recover from three games without a win. One battle in particular against the Villans will need to be won if they wish to pick up a positive result.

On the chalkboard

The Gunners have made a mixed start to this campaign, winning just two of their first five games but losing only once.

Aston Villa, meanwhile, have seen little return on the £133.7m they spent during the past transfer window. They have been defeated in three of their first five games back in the top flight, with just one victory coming their way so far.

With the pressure beginning to rise on Dean Smith, the Midlands side will be desperate for a good result. While there will be key duels all over the pitch, one battle, in particular, could decide the game.

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Midfield battle

Last season, there were just two Villa players who registered a higher average WhoScored rating than John McGinn’s 7.28, and one of them is no longer with the club. This term, he leads the way among his team-mates with an average of 7.41. His importance to the side cannot be understated.

In the middle of the park, he will be facing Matteo Guendouzi, whose early form this season recently earned him a call-up to the France U21 squad.

It is likely to be a bruising contest, with the two not accustomed to shirking a tackle. The 17-time Scotland international has averaged a huge four per game this term and, although Guendouzi has made two less per match, it is not a number to be sniffed at.

The Arsenal man needs to be wary of McGinn’s attacking influence, too.

He has scored one goal and made another so far this term, meaning he has contributed directly to 50% of his team’s four strikes. His 1.4 key passes and 1.4 dribbles per game indicate that he will be looking to make his presence known going forward.

Guendouzi has been beaten by those running at him two times per game this campaign, which is amongst the highest 20 in the league. McGinn will need to make sure that is a problem once again at the Emirates Stadium this weekend.

But if the former Hibernian man can be kept under wraps, it will dramatically increase the possibility of Emery and co getting the result they need. Guendouzi seems like the man for the job, but it will no doubt be a tricky one.

Manchester United lack a cutting edge in front of goal, says Rio Ferdinand

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

BT Sport pundit and former Manchester United centre-back Rio Ferdinand has revealed his main concern amid the Red Devils’ poor run of form.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side have recorded just one win from their opening four games, including a loss to Crystal Palace and two 1-1 draws against Wolves and Southampton.

They currently find themselves sat in seventh place as a result, and Ferdinand has highlighted what he thinks the biggest problem is with United amid their terrible run.

What did he say?

Speaking to BT Sport, via The Express, Ferdinand said: “I think the main part is they haven’t been ruthless or clinical enough in front of goal when they have had games and positions to win.

“They had teams waiting there to be beaten and they didn’t have the ruthlessness, maybe the experience, the nous, to get over the line.”

Should have a lot more points

There is clearly a visible improvement in United’s way of playing this season – you only need to watch their games to see that.

However, whilst Solskjaer has got his side playing some good stuff at times, they do lack the professional trait of knowing when to stop being free-flowing and adventurous and see a game out.

Against Wolves, Paul Pogba missed a penalty that presumably would’ve killed that game off and handed United the three points, whilst against the Eagles, it was Marcus Rashford who missed his kick whilst a whole number of other chances went begging.

If you’re not able to outscore your opponents and be ruthless in front of goal, you have to know how to suffocate the game and ensure that the opposition don’t get a sniff, something which United seemingly can’t do.

In that case, they will need to score more goals than they are doing in order to have any chance of picking up the three points on a regular basis, so Ferdinand’s main concern is an accurate one.

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Celtic fans react as Fraser Forster comes back to Parkhead

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Celtic fans are very excited about the comeback of Fraser Forster, as the Southampton stopper was confirmed as Neil Lennon’s fourth first-team signing of the summer.

The Celts announced the signing of their former keeper on a one-year loan deal on the night of their 2-0 Europa League win over AIK.  The giant stopper has made his return to Celtic Park five years after the Celts sold him to the Saints in a £10m deal.

A Celtic fan has claimed Celtic won’t just join the EPL in the near future but they’ll make the Top 4 as well! Watch the controversial video below…

The goalkeeper was a success in his first spell in Glasgow, playing 197 times and earning the first of his six England call-ups while still at Celtic. The fans will hope he can replicate his first spell form as the current crop of goalies at the club have left a lot to be desired.

The supporters are quite excited about his return, with the stopper still a big fan-favourite at Parkhead.

Here’s what they had to say on Twitter about Forster’s  return:

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Purple and Orange caps: Noor, Jaiswal could grab top spots on Tuesday

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Otherwise, the GT openers and their seam bowler Prasidh Krishna currently lead the charts

ESPNcricinfo staff20-May-2025

Purple Cap table

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) spinner Noor Ahmad has a chance to grab the Purple Cap on Tuesday when his team takes on Rajasthan Royals (RR). With 20 wickets in 12 outings so far, Noor is the most successful spinner this season, and is only one scalp behind Prasidh Krishna of Gujarat Titans (GT). When Noor played RR last time, he took 2 for 28.Related

  • MI sign Bairstow, Gleeson and Asalanka as temporary replacements

  • Bottom-scrapers CSK, RR face-off in Delhi with one eye on future

  • Race to IPL 2025 playoffs: Mumbai Indians vs Delhi Capitals for final spot

  • Abhishek's over of fury: four sixes, one knockout blow

Behind Prasidh and Noor on the wicket-takers’ tally are fast bowlers Josh Hazlewood of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Trent Boult of Mumbai Indians (MI) on 18 wickets apiece. Rounding up the top five is Kolkata Knight Riders spinner Varun Chakravarthy with 17 wickets.

Orange Cap table

Yashasvi Jaiswal, who struck a 25-ball 50 against Punjab Kings (PBKS) for Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Sunday afternoon, is No. 3 on the batters’ charts with 523 runs in 13 innings. However, if Jaiswal scores 95 or more runs against CSK on Tuesday, he will take the No. 1 spot, if only briefly, with B Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill – the GT opening pair – having two games in hand by the time they play their next match on Thursday.Sudharsan is currently leading the charts with an overall tally of 617 runs from 12 innings, while his captain, Gill, is one spot behind with 601 runs in 12 innings. Mumbai’s Suryakumar Yadav (510), RCB’s Virat Kohli (505) and GT’s Jos Buttler (500) are the only other batters to cross 500 runs this season.Here’s what ESPNcricinfo’s MVP table looks like. A successful outing for Noor on Tuesday could also see him jump from No. 3 to No. 1.And here are some other IPL 2025 tables that show the season’s best performers in different aspects of the T20 game.

  • Highest batting strike rates
  • Best bowling economy rates
  • Most sixes
  • Best bowling figures in a match

Delhi Capitals hope to break out of their funk against Punjab Kings

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

They’ve won just two of their last five games at a time when the playoffs race is heating up

Abhimanyu Bose07-May-20253:52

Moody: No evidence Fraser-McGurk has ‘turned a corner’

Big picture: Have DC sorted out their openers?

There have been two washouts in IPL 2025. One denied Punjab Kings (PBKS) a potential win, and the other handed Delhi Capitals (DC) a lifeline. And on Thursday, two of four teams with an odd number of points will face off in a crucial encounter in the race to the playoffs.While a win for PBKS will boost their hopes for a top-two finish, two points for DC will see them back in the top four, ahead of Mumbai Indians on points and level with PBKS — and with very little to separate the two teams on net run rate right now, DC might just shoot ahead of them as well and go third.DC also need the win to wrestle back momentum. After winning their first four matches, they have won just two of their last five games, with one of those wins coming through a Super Over. At the heart of their struggles has been the lack of stability in their batting order.Unlike their opponents, who are among three teams to have stuck with the same opening partnership, DC have tried six at the top of the order — the most for any team this year. With Jake Fraser-McGurk dropped, DC shuffled their line-up in the last game to bring Abishek Porel down to No. 3, pushing Karun Nair to the top, but the move didn’t help as they only managed 133 against Sunrisers Hyderabad before rain saved their blushes.Playing in Dharamsala, where Arshdeep Singh blew Lucknow Super Giants away with new-ball swing, the focus on DC’s top order will only be further intensified.

Form guide

Punjab Kings: WWLWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Delhi Capitals: LLWLW2:51

Fifth bowler a concern for PBKS?

The big question

In the spotlight: KL Rahul and Marcus Stoinis

DC’s downward spiral has coincided with a drop-off in KL Rahul’s returns. Rahul opened in du Plessis’ absence against Chennai Super Kings and made 77, and then scored an unbeaten 93 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru from No. 4, but since then his form has dwindled, and even when he has got runs, it’s been with sub-par strike rates. With DC’s batting looking shaky in recent times, the onus will be on the experienced Rahul to stand tall and deliverWith Glenn Maxwell ruled out of the IPL, Marcus Stoinis is set to play a more important role for PBKS. He was left out of the team for two matches after the defeat to RCB, but hit an unbeaten 15 off 5 when he came back against Lucknow Super Giants. PBKS will hope Stoinis can find his form with the bat since he is one of the team’s primary overseas batters.

Team news: Nigam surplus to DC requirements?

After a resounding win in their last game in Dharamsala, PBKS are unlikely to tinker with their combination.Punjab Kings (likely XII): 1 Priyansh Arya, 2 Prabhsimran Singh, 3 Shreyas Iyer (capt), 4 Josh Inglis (wk), 5 Nehal Wadhera, 6 Shashank Singh, 7 Marcus Stoinis, 8 Marco Jansen, 9 Arshdeep Singh, 10 Azmatullah Omarzai, 11 Yuzvendra Chahal, 12 Vijaykumar VyshakDC have opted to leave Ashutosh Sharma on their bench even when they batted first in the last few games, bringing him on only if needed. But with the conditions better suited to pace, they could look to playing him ahead of Vipraj Nigam, and keep the option of bringing on an extra seamer in Mohit Sharma or Mukesh Kumar.DC also signed Sediqullah Atal as a replacement for Harry Brook, although it is unsure if he will be immediately available.Delhi Capitals (likely XII): 1 Faf du Plessis, 2 Abishek Porel, 3 Karun Nair, 4 KL Rahul (wk), 5 Axar Patel (capt), 6 Tristan Stubbs, 7 Ashutosh Sharma, 8 Mitchell Starc, 9 Dushmantha Chameera, 10 Kuldeep Yadav, 11 T Natarajan, 12 Mohit Sharma/Mukesh Kumar2:00

Decoding Mitchell Starc’s wobble seam delivery

Pitch and conditions: Seam and swing on offer

It rained in Dharamsala on the eve of the game, delaying the teams’ practice and there is a chance of rain on match day as well. With tensions escalating between India and Pakistan, the Dharamsala airport has been closed, but the match is set to be held as planned.In the first game there this season, there was plenty of swing available, so new-ball bowlers are likely to play an important role, while spinners will have to deal with little assistance.

Stats and trivia: PBKS’ in-form openers

  • Mitchell Starc enjoys bowling against PBKS, with seven wickets in four matches at an average of 13.28 and economy of 6.64. However, all these matches came before 2015
  • DC have suffered nine run-outs in IPL 2025, while no other team have more than five
  • Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya have the third-most partnership runs this year in the IPL (406), only behind Gujarat Titans’ Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan (634) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal (453)
  • Arya has a strike rate of 188.05 in the powerplay, the best among all batters having faced 100 balls.
  • Yuzvendra Chahal has dismissed Faf du Plessis three times in 12 T20s and the South African strikes at just 88 against the legspinner

Quotes

“I think Yuzi has been very consistent. He is the highest wicket-taker in the IPL and he is one such magician who has come back very strong every time people have raised their eyebrows at him.”
PBKS spin-bowling coach Sunil Joshi on Yuzvendra Chahal

Newcastle’s potential line-up to face Liverpool

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

After a disappointing start saw them lose both of their opening Premier League fixtures against Arsenal and Norwich respectively, Newcastle have responded well in their past two top-flight games.

A shock away win at Champions League finalists Tottenham set the ball rolling, before a hard-fought point against Watford saw them head into the international break in positive spirits. However, Steve Bruce’s side face the mountainous task of returning to Premier League action against an all-conquering Liverpool side, who have simply brushed past everyone this season.

And with the Magpies appearing to have injury problems, this may not be the ideal time to face the Reds at Anfield. But, having done the improbable against Spurs, Bruce will hope his team can pull off another miracle. Below is a look at how they might line-up at the weekend.

A sign of encouragement since the Norwich debacle, Newcastle’s back-five has looked more resilient with just two goals conceded in their last three games across all competitions.

Paul Dummett, Jamaal Lascelles and Fabian Schar have nailed down the central positions, but Matt Ritchie’s horror injury against Leicester once again rules him out of action. Summer signing Jetro Willems filled in at left wing-back against Watford, and delivered his most impressive showing for the club so far, registering a team-high three tackles.

Fellow new boy Emil Krafth will be expected to deputise for DeAndre Yedlin once more.

Watch Newcastle United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

In midfield, Bruce delivered a hammer blow in his pre-match press conference by ruling out Sean Longstaff due to a “freak” ankle injury. Ki Sung-yueng could be pushing for a recall, but the big open spaces at Anfield and the expected intent to play on the counter-attack may see Jonjo Shelvey’s greater range of passing get him the nod in central midfield.

In the wide areas, Allan Saint-Maximin is still out with a hamstring problem, which will no doubt increase the burden on the likes of Miguel Almiron and Christian Atsu to supply the service further forward. The former’s first goal for Paraguay during the international break will have done him the world of good, and perhaps he could finally break his Newcastle goal-scoring duck.

Up front, the Magpies’ club-record signing Joelinton will be expected to lead the line once more amid Andy Carroll’s continued absence. Injuries in key areas have robbed Bruce of the kind of line-up he would have wanted to pick for Saturday’s game, but the performances against Tottenham and Watford should provide him with a bit more confidence.

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There's a 'serious question mark' over Mohammed Shami, says Aakash Chopra

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Mohammed Shami’s numbers in IPL 2025 are poor, and he has also not been able to get his lines right consistently, which has traditionally been one of his strengths

ESPNcricinfo staff03-May-20252:36

Chopra: If Shami struggles, his England ticket will be in doubt

Earlier this month, Mohammed Shami almost broke an IPL record. That of the most expensive four-over spell in a game. He conceded 75 against Punjab Kings (PBKS), just one fewer than Jofra Archer’s 76 for Rajasthan Royals (RR) against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). You do go for runs in T20 cricket, but Shami hasn’t looked himself in IPL 2025, and as Aakash Chopra put it, “he’s not looking good” right now, keeping in mind India’s Test tour of England not long after the IPL.Shami didn’t play the last IPL after he was sidelined with an ankle injury and underwent surgery in his right foot in March 2024. In IPL 2023, he won the Purple Cap for his 28 wickets for Gujarat Titans (GT). On Friday night, against GT, he went 3-0-48-0. That took his season’s numbers to six wickets from nine matches at an average of 56.17 and an economy rate of 11.23. Combined with much else, Shami’s poor run with the ball has been one of the reasons for SRH’s dismal season.”You’ve had a big surgery like that, I think psychologically for a start [it gets you down],” Danny Morrison said on ESPNcricinfo’s Time Out after SRH’s latest defeat, which left them on the brink of elimination. “And then you’ve got to come back and pace yourself, I just wonder: he is no 29-year-old anymore, is he? So there are all of those things that are stacked against you.”Related

  • Shami unlikely to make India's Test squad for England tour

  • Was there enough doubt to turn down the run-out appeal against Gill?

  • Powerplay malfunction puts SRH on the brink

  • Gill, Buttler and Sai Sudharsan leave SRH on the brink of elimination

If Morrison chose to be kind, Chopra didn’t.”That’s a big question there, no, because it’s not like he came back from an injury last week or last month. He started playing domestic cricket last year and this is May already,” Chopra said. “He’s played an ICC event [Champions Trophy] in between. He’s played a lot of games. If he’s still off the boil, and that has something to do with the injury – and we’re all assuming that it is – then there is a serious question mark with regards to what happens next.”Of course, [SRH] is one story. The other is the tour of England. All of us were harping about the fact that [at the] Border-Gavaskar Trophy, [Jasprit] Bumrah was alone, there was no Shami, and if there was Shami how things would have been different. But will there be Shami [in England] is the question. And what kind of Shami?”This tournament is such that it doesn’t matter who you are. If you’re not delivering the goods, you will be taken to the cleaners. And right now, what I see with Shami is, pace down is one bit, second is not enough balls getting bowled in the same area. Mohammed Shami was always that. That is his only strength [and], it is phenomenal.”For the record, Shami returned to competitive cricket in the Ranji Trophy late last year for Bengal, and after being a part of the Syed Mushtaq Ali (T20) and the (50-over) Vijay Hazare Trophy squads for Bengal, was back in international cricket with the T20I series at home against England in January-February. The biggest high in all this was picking up 5 for 53 against Bangladesh in the Champions Trophy, where he was India’s highest wicket-taker with nine wickets, as his team went on to win the tournament.In that same Champions Trophy, Shami opened the bowling against Pakistan and bowled five wides in the first over. His lines were off on Friday night too. He drifted into Shubman Gill’s pads – and was flicked for six – and gave width to B Sai Sudharsan, and even bowled a 20-run over, the third of the GT innings.3:03

Have Sunrisers been the most disappointing team this season?

“Going back to that game against Pakistan, where he bowled five wides in the first over – okay that happened also 45 days ago or, maybe more, two months ago [on February 23] – so if he’s still not able to get the ball right… because he’s not someone who will get flicked for a six; you can drive him for a four, cut him maybe – he doesn’t give you that much width by the way – but very seldom will he bowl those that you’re flicking for a six and you’re happy facing the [next] ball. So yeah, he’s not looking good,” Chopra said.Morrison was also concerned and provided a glimpse of a fast bowler’s mindset when it comes to returning after an injury with form, fitness, and age not on your side.”Sometimes, there’s a saying, you just put it there rather than you bowl it,” he said. “And follow through, and present to the crease well, and all those sorts of things. He may just be subtly guilty – and it could be anyone – that if I am not just getting through the crease, pace has come down – sure, all those things – whether you are wholeheartedly getting through your action.”SRH have four games to go. They aren’t mathematically out of the race for the playoffs yet, but are close to it. Four more games for them to do something about their season, and four more games for Shami to show he’s still got it. The IPL shouldn’t be the base for Test selection, but Shami hasn’t played Test cricket since June 2023. So, to repeat, “he’s not looking good”.

Crystal Palace will need to adapt to life with James Tavernier if they sign him

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets…

According to talkSPORT, Crystal Palace are eyeing up a move for Rangers captain James Tavernier, as the Scottish giants monitor Leonel Di Placido as a potential replacement.

Tavernier has emerged as a key member of Rangers’ squad since signing from Wigan back in 2015, becoming a real attacking force as well as being appointed as the Gers’ skipper.

The 27-year-old racked up a quite astounding number of goal involvements for a right-back last term, netting 11 goals and recording 14 assists in his 33 Scottish Premiership appearances, whilst he scored 17 and assisted 20 across all competitions – world-class attackers would be proud of those figures.

Whilst those numbers will presumably excite some Palace fans, the Eagles may have to adapt differently to life with such an attacking force down the right side.

Roy Hodgson hasn’t really had a genuine attacking force at right-back since arriving at the club, using only Joel Ward and Aaron Wan-Bissaka in the position – the latter has since left for Manchester United.

Both of them are nowhere near as attacking as Tavernier, reinforced by the fact that Ward has only ever scored 12 goals and got 14 assists in 345 career appearances, whilst Wan-Bissaka has just four assists in 47 appearances.

Contrastingly over on the other side of defence, Palace do have a left-back who loves to attack in Patrick van Aanholt, a man who has scored 17 goals in the four Premier League seasons before the current campaign.

Given that fact, if Palace deploy the Dutchman and Tavernier together, they will have two attacking full-backs for the first time in a while and definitely the first time under Hodgson, meaning the south Londoners will need to adapt.

Whether this means that the two communicate and decide when one should go forward and one should stay back, or if midfielders such as James McArthur and Luka Milivojevic are asked to cover for them whilst they venture forward, Hodgson will have to adapt and overcome the problems that would arise from having Tavernier in his team.

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