Category Uncategorized

Looking to get one over on London rivals Chelsea, Crystal Palace are now reportedly keen to hijack the Blues’ chase to sign an impressive Ligue 1 defender who has been compared to Dayot Upamecano.

Crystal Palace at risk of losing European place

For all their hard work, Dean Henderson’s save to deny Omar Marmoush’s penalty, Eberechi Eze’s Wembley heroics and Oliver Glasner’s tactical victory over Pep Guardiola which was months in the making, it could all come crashing down for Crystal Palace. The Eagles looked set to soar across Europe for the first time, but UEFA may well be about to clip their wings.

The same shareholder cannot hold a majority stake in two clubs in the same European competition and that’s a problem for John Textor, who not only holds large shares in the South London club but also French club Lyon, who also qualified for the Europa League. Naturally, the simple solution for all may have been to at least drop Palace into the Europa Conference League. That too would be a problem, however.

Crystal Palace battling to sign £150k-p/w ace with same agent as Henderson

He could be their first signing of the summer.

1

By
Tom Cunningham

Jun 7, 2025

Like Textor, Dan Blitzer’s involvement in Brondby means that he would have two clubs in the UEFA Conference League. Simply put, Palace would have the same problem again and they’re now at risk of being kicked out of European football altogether.

When INEOS had the same problem amid Manchester United and Nice’s European qualification, they put shares into a blind trust to navigate past the rules. The City Group did the same when Manchester City and Getafe both qualified for the Champions League. Although they have reportedly since offered to do the same, however, Crystal Palace have missed the deadline to do so.

Whether Textor and Parish’s meeting with UEFA on Tuesday changed things remains to be seen. For now, Palace must hope for the best and push on with their summer preparations, including on the transfer front.

Crystal Palace keen to hijack Doukoure chase

According to The Boot Room, Crystal Palace are now keen to hijack Chelsea’s chase to sign Ismael Doukoure this summer. The Strasbourg defender enjoyed an excellent season in France and, at 21 years old, is attracting plenty of interest from across Europe. Given that Marc Guehi has been the subject of several exit rumours at Selhurst Park too, a move for the Strasbourg man would certainly make sense for Palace.

U23 scout Antonio Mango went as far as to describe Doukoure as “magnificent” in 2023, whilst scout Jacek Kulig compared the defender to Bayern Munich’s Upamencao in incredibly high praise, praising his pace, anticipation and aerial ability.

Kulig’s comparison certainly makes sense. When compared, Doukoure kept up with Upamecano in possession – albeit having played more minutes – and impressively outperformed him in the air.

Also matching his fellow Frenchman for tackles won, Doukoure will be desperate to follow a similar path to the top as Upamecano and that could first feature a move to the Premier League courtesy of Crystal Palace.

Newcastle United have made contact with the agents of a teenage talent in France who is also wanted by Liverpool, according to a new report.

Newcastle trying to address defensive issues ahead of the new season

After a season out of European football, the Magpies can now look forward to the 2025/26 campaign knowing they are back in the Champions League. Strengthening in the forward areas seems to be a high priority for Eddie Howe and co. this summer, but addressing their defence will also be on their list of jobs.

Related Newcastle now eye deal for "world-class" 28 y/o who Barcelona want to sign

There have been a new development.

Posts 1 ByHenry Jackson Jun 3, 2025

Jamaal Lascelles is out of contract at the end of this month and looks set to leave, while their remaining defensive options are all in their 30s, excluding the seemingly injury-stricken Sven Botman.

Fabian Schar and Dan Burn are both 33, and given the Magpies are going to be dealing with Champions League football now, Howe is going to want more fresh legs, as the games will come thick and fast next season.

Newcastle have already been linked with one defender in the past week, as they have joined Aston Villa in the race to sign Amir Murillo from Marseille. The Magpies hope the fact they are in Europe’s biggest competition and Villa are not will help them sign Murillo, who is said to be valued at around £21 million. Meanwhile, last month it was reported that Newcastle had made contact with AC Milan over a move to sign centre-back Malick Thaw.

Newcastle contact agents of teenage defender

The options for a new centre-back don’t stop there for the Magpies, as according to Moroccan outlet Le360 Sport, via Sport Witness, Newcastle have met with Stade Rennais defender Abdelhamid Aït Boudlal over a move to St James’ Park.

The report states that the Magpies and Liverpool are both interested in signing the 19-year-old defender this summer. That despite the fact that Aït Boudlal has yet to play a senior game for Stade Rennais and played just nine times for Amiens while on loan there for the last six months of the season.

The centre-back, who can also play left-back, has already met with Newcastle, but he has an offer on the table, and it’s not from the Magpies. Liverpool are said to have made a concrete offer to sign Aït Boudlal, but it is unclear how much that offer is. The 19-year-old’s options don’t stop in England either, as OGC Nice as well as two teams from La Liga are also keeping a close eye on his situation.

Abdelhamid Aït Boudlal’s 24/25 Ligue 2 stats

Apps

9

Starts

8

Assists

1

Big chances created

1

Interceptions per game

0.7

Tackles per game

1.6

Balls recovered per game

3.6

Clearances per game

7.9

Duels won per game (success)

4.4 (58%)

It’s unclear how much Stade Rennais would want for their defender, but according to Transfermarkt, Aït Boudlal is valued at around £420,000, which is a fee that both Newcastle and Liverpool would have no problem paying. Newcastle may not see Aït Boudlal as a player who will instantly become a regular in their team, but he is someone who could learn on the fringes, with the hope of becoming a top defender in the next couple of years as Howe’s current options decline.

Liverpool fans are loving life after being crowned Premier League champions and could now be set for another reason to get excited after landing a boost ahead of the summer transfer window.

Liverpool enjoying life at the top of the tree

Truthfully, it is hard for Liverpool fans to have too many gripes at the minute after their side were crowned champions last weekend, trouncing Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield. Arne Slot and company took it all after enjoying the occasion at Anfield, but they will already have one eye on the summer in order to stay one step ahead of their Premier League rivals.

Virgil Van Dijk and Mohamed Salah have both committed their future to the Dutchman’s project. However, the same can’t be said for Real Madrid-linked star Trent Alexander-Arnold. Intriguingly, Liverpool are keeping informed on Barcelona defender Jules Kounde as a potential replacement, which may paint a picture regarding whether their top academy product will stay or leave the club.

Celtic forward Daizen Maeda is also on the radar at Anfield. The Japan international is attracting further interest from Arsenal and Aston Villa in light of his excellent form north of the border.

Imagine him & Gakpo: Slot driving Liverpool deal for £60m "game-changer"

Liverpool are set for a shopping spree this summer.

ByAngus Sinclair May 1, 2025

FSG have their work cut out in the coming window to ensure that Liverpool stay top of the pile, with the suspicion that a tighter title race will be in store circa 2025/26 once managers have had a chance to rectify squad flaws.

Of course, the Reds’ priority will be padding out each position with enough depth to handle the strain of both domestic and European competitions, and they have now received a boost in the hunt for a classy midfield operator.

Liverpool look to strike deal for Genoa star Morten Frendrup

According to TEAMtalk, Liverpool are in the hunt to sign Genoa’s Morten Frendrup and have been informed that the Serie A outfit plan to sell the midfielder for around £26 million this summer. Reds officials have turned out to watch the Denmark international several times this season and they have been mightily impressed by his performances, especially from a defensive standpoint.

Morten Frendrup’s Serie A statistics – 2024/25

Successful passes

963

Shots on target

9

Chances created

12

Tackles won

59

Duels won

168

Goals

2

Assists

0

Frendrup himself is ready for a new challenge and has formed part of Liverpool’s mission to find a defensive midfielder for over a year. Nevertheless, they aren’t alone in pursuit of the 24-year-old amid further interest from Italian top-flight clubs Atalanta, AC Milan, Inter Milan, and Fiorentina.

Ryan Gravenberch has excelled despite not being a natural number six, something which may have prompted Slot to have a look for alterations on the market.

Strength in numbers will be key if Liverpool have designs on retaining a well-earned title next term, so it won’t come as a surprise to see that they are already proactive in their efforts to land reinforcements.

Leeds United’s Saturday lunchtime couldn’t have gone any better, with the Whites recording a priceless victory in the ongoing automatic promotion tussle in the Championship against Preston North End, whilst one of their rivals for the top two spots succumbed to a third straight defeat in the league.

That was Chris Wilder’s Sheffield United who shockingly fell to a late defeat at bottom-of-the-table Plymouth Argyle, with Leeds’ emotions very different at the final whistle away from the dour mood in Devon from the away stands.

The picture above encapsulates the mixture of both relief and jubliance inside Elland Road when the full-time whistle was sounded, with Manor Solomon standing out throughout as a top performer after gifting his promotion-chasing side the lead after just four minutes.

Solomon's performance in numbers vs Preston

With Daniel James confirmed to be out of the lunchtime clash when the lineup filtered through, Solomon must have been even more aware that he could be a hero for his team down the flanks, away from the energetic Welshman.

He instantly threw himself into the contest and was rewarded with a stunning early effort, with the Tottenham Hotspur loanee managing to curl this delightful effort past the opposition goalkeeper after the Whites’ patient passing approach paid off.

Preston would instantly fight back with an equaliser, but thankfully, the Championship’s table-toppers had more than enough in their system to get over the line and win, with Solomon a lively customer across the frantic 90 minutes.

Indeed, the 25-year-old winger would also turn provider when assisting Jayden Bogle’s winning goal, with the Spurs loan ace further completing four accurate crosses to try and make Leeds’ slim victory more comprehensive.

Whilst the attacking players in Daniel Farke’s ranks do often steal the plaudits with breathtaking displays of quality, there was also a resilient side to Leeds on show against Paul Heckingbottom’s visitors, with this defender a colossus throughout.

The 8/10 Leeds star who has become undroppable

It could be argued that the centre-back star in question was even better than Solomon across the full duration of the bumpy 90 minutes, with the 6 foot 4 titan having to remain alert throughout, away from his attacking teammate stealing the show early on.

Joe Rodon would come away from this nervy encounter with his head firmly held high, considering the Welsh enforcer would trudge off the Elland Road turf at the close of the contest with all but one of his seven duels won, among other standout numbers.

Minutes played

90

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Touches

59

Accurate passes

47/51 (92%)

Key passes

1

Shots

2

Clearances

4

Tackles

1

Total duels won

6/7

Looking at the table above, it’s clear Rodon was a man in control throughout his near-faultless 90 minutes, with the ex-Swansea City man only misplacing four of his 51 passes on the day.

Whilst he followed a worried trend of Leeds being wasteful in front of goal with two chances spurned of his own, Rodon would still rightly be praised post-match, leading to Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Graham Smyth dishing out a high 8/10 rating to the dominant number six, labelling his forceful showing as simply ‘no-nonsense’.

Already undroppable before this tense fixture – considering Farke has started him in every Championship game this season to date – his importance to the cause has only been heightened now off the back the unfortunate backdrop of his usual centre-back comrade, Pascal Struijk, being ruled out for the rest of the campaign.

Rodon will hope more authoritative performances defensively, such as this one against the Lilywhites, leads to more invaluable victories coming his side’s way, with just one misstep in the automatic promotion race in the Championship proving to be very costly.

He's playing like a £50m star: Leeds sold Struijk successor for just £4m

Leeds United must wish they never sold this defensive star now.

ByKelan Sarson Apr 11, 2025

Coach Jon Lewis said it was “pretty brutal” to bow out this way and was seemingly frustrated at not getting to train at match venues

Firdose Moonda16-Oct-20240:35

England disappointed at lack of training at match venues

Frustrations boiled over on and off the field for England after they failed to make their first T20 World Cup semi-final in seven editions. The last time England missed out on the knockouts was in 2010, and their disappointment after a meticulously planned campaign, which included a two-week camp in Abu Dhabi and simulating being without their captain Heather Knight in a game, was on full display.As West Indies began to hunt down a target of 142 by putting on the best powerplay score of the tournament, England dropped catches and their shoulders. Although this was their last match of the group phase, it was their only one in Dubai, where they encountered the ring of fire for the first time. They put down five catches, all of West Indies opener Qiana Joseph and she went on to score a decisive, match-winning half-century.Asked whether England would have liked to have had a training session at the ground before match day, coach Jon Lewis said: “No one’s had an opportunity to train here. We’ve been training in the ICC Academy down the road.”Related

• Catching in focus as Women's T20 World Cup enters the ring of fire

• West Indies knock England out, join South Africa in semi-finals

• 'I'm just ready': Qiana Joseph pummels England as West Indies find a new matchwinner

All ten teams have used the ICC Academy as a training base, apart from Scotland, who had a session in Sharjah early on, and India, ahead of their crunch clash against Australia. India’s training took place after the match between New Zealand and Sri Lanka on Saturday and included a middle practice. When Lewis was asked if he knew about India’s practice he said: “I didn’t know they did that. I didn’t know. India can pretty much do what they like, can’t they? Is that how it works?”An ICC spokesperson clarified to ESPNcricinfo that, “All other teams had the opportunity of training in Sharjah like India did on that day,” and it is understood no other teams asked to use the facilities at Sharjah. New Zealand and West Indies will have a practice session there on Thursday, ahead of their semi-final on Friday.England would have eyed that game as theirs, after they won their first three matches, with increasingly larger margins, but their net run-rate meant the West Indies clash was effectively a quarter-final. Lewis called it “pretty brutal” to bow out this way, particularly given the form England brought into the tournament.”I’m pretty gutted, to be honest. We’ve worked incredibly hard over a long period of time working towards this point,” he said. “We feel like we had a really good formula to come and play our best cricket out here and we haven’t done that today. And it’s really disappointing. You put a lot of time and effort and thought into the process of getting to this point, and then you put the players out on the field and you want the players to go and play their best cricket, because you know that at their best, this group of players is a really good cricket team.”Since the last T20 World Cup, where England were losing semi-finalists, they have won 21 of 28 matches, including the T20 component of the Ashes and an 11-match winning streak against New Zealand, Pakistan and Ireland. Of the teams at this World Cup, only Australia, with 17 victories from 22 matches, have a better win percentage over the same period. Given those numbers, it would not be exaggerating to say that England had realistic expectations of making it out of the group stage but did not deal well with being put under real pressure in the field for the first time in the tournament.

“It seemed like maybe after six or seven overs we were starting to think, ‘Oh crikey, we’re up against it here,’ and you could see a lot of the players just starting to drift off. Especially with our energy in the field and our tempo.”Jon Lewis

After Hayley Matthews took the fight to them with 14 runs off the first over, Joseph showed a willingness to take risks with a few big hits that ended up being half-chances. She edged her first four, then got a leading edge which fell safely, then was dropped on the boundary by Sophia Dunkley, then hit a ball just over backward point, and then top-edged a sweep which did not carry to short fine. In between that, Hayley Matthews spliced a pull shot off Charlie Dean that landed in front of Danielle Gibson. England’s fielders were frantic and soon became too frazzled to hold on, even to easier opportunities. At point, Alice Capsey dropped Joseph when she skied one straight up and again at deep mid-wicket for what was a simple chance. It appeared that England’s drops were the result of things happening in fast-forward but, as Lewis pointed out, they were not the only team whose hands let them down in Dubai. “It’s obviously something that’s been reasonably common at this stadium,” he said.According to ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball data, there have been 75 catches dropped in the 20 group-stage matches, which is the most in the last four tournaments. Of those, 39 have been put down in Dubai, and 33 of those in night matches. The numbers suggest that difficulty of catching under an unusually configured circle of lights is not mere mythology and perhaps more practice at the match venue would have helped. But there was more to England’s defeat than just that set of circumstances.They unravelled in other ways too. After the powerplay, Ecclestone and Bell both bowled tight overs but Maia Bouchier put Joseph down twice in two overs. At one point, she had her head in her hands and her team-mates’ expressions gave away their disbelief. By this point, Lewis knew something was not quite right.”It’s not a reaction you want as a coach when you’re on the sidelines. It seemed like maybe after six or seven overs we were starting to think, ‘Oh crikey, we’re up against it here,’ and you could see a lot of the players just starting to drift off. Especially with our energy in the field and our tempo – we played a lot slower today.”Sarah Glenn reacts to England’s sloppy fielding•ICC/Getty ImagesLewis went out himself at the drinks break to calm things down. “I rarely go on the field after a drinks interval, but I went on today just to remind them what we’re all about as a cricket team,” he said. “They responded to that really well after the drinks break. There was a period, yeah, for three or four overs where we looked a little deflated as a side because we took some punches and when you’re on the ropes, you’re taking punches, it can be hard to keep bouncing back. But I thought they did after the drinks interval, they came back, took some wickets, got back on our plans, and actually executed much better after that point.”By then, it was all but too late. Joseph brought up fifty in the over after the break and then Bouchier dropped her again before Danni Wyatt-Hodge finally held on to one. Bouchier did not join the celebratory huddle. England also removed Matthews and Deandra Dottin, who was bowled by the player who talked up the mini-battle between them, Sophie Ecclestone, but she was too annoyed to care about bragging rights. She’d spent some of the rest of the time muttering to herself in irritation as runs flowed and she could do little to stop it.The other face like thunder was Knight’s. She was not able to join the team on the field and offered advice from the sidelines but it was not the same as calling the shots in the middle, which is something she values doing. “The reason you’ve seen emotion from Heather is that she’s really committed and really cares about England cricket and not being out there would have been incredibly frustrating for her,” Lewis said.England have gone from a team who had the knockouts in their sights to taking the early flight home, with the knowledge that they simply “weren’t at our best today.””The reality is we didn’t play well enough today and we got beaten by a better side on the day. That’s sport and that’s World Cup sport and it’s a knockout game,” Lewis said. “We knew that coming into the game, so, we’ll dig into that and we’ll work out why that is, and we’ll try and move the team forward from there.”England’s next assignment is a tour to South Africa starting next month.

Archer is set to return to action in the league after having recovered from multiple injuries

Firdose Moonda08-Jan-2023Tristan Stubbs (Sunrisers Eastern Cape)
The biggest buy at the auction, with a price tag of R9.2 million (USD 520,000), Stubbs will be keen to show his worth at his home base. He was picked up by the Sunrisers Eastern Cape, based in Port Elizabeth, which is also where he began his professional career. He rose to prominence in the 2021-22 season, when he was the second-leading run-scorer in the CSA T20 Challenge, scoring 293 runs in seven innings, including three fifties, at a strike rate of 183.12. Almost two-thirds of his runs in that tournament came in boundaries. Stubbs was picked up by by Mumbai Indians for the IPL 2022, but only played two games and is expected to be much more of a feature in the SA20. He hits the ball cleanly, is quick between the wickets and is an asset on the field. We may even catch him bowling some offspin. Dewald Brevis (MI Cape Town)
The next big thing in South African cricket has already played in the IPL and the CPL and was a pre-auction pick for MI Cape Town for SA20. Brevis is a fearless hitter with a 360-degree game and has some big numbers to his name from a small sample of matches. After finishing as the leading run-scorer in the Under-19 World Cup early last year, he was contracted to Titans and has made an almost immediate impression. He smashed a 57-ball 162 for the Titans in the CSA T20 Challenge in October and was the second-highest run-scorer in the tournament, boasting a strike rate of 176.75.Related

Archer is MI Cape Town's wildcard signing

How Brevis became baby AB

SA20 auction: Tristan Stubbs the biggest buy

Jofra Archer (MI Cape Town)
Cape Town secured another big coup when they signed Jofra Archer as their wildcard. He is set to return to competitive cricket for the first time since March last year. Archer has been managing an elbow-injury and a lower-back stress fracture and has taken small steps to his comeback, starting with some matches with the England Lions. He has also been named in the England squad to play three ODIs against South Africa, which take place at the end of January, and the SA20 provides him with an ideal opportunity to find form ahead of the international fixtures and the IPL, where he has been retained by Mumbai Indians. At the SA20, Archer will join a pace attack that includes Sam Curran, Kagiso Rabada, Odean Smith and Olly Stone, which makes them among the most formidable in the tournament.Ireland’s Josh Little has been in demand in franchise T20 cricket•Abu Dhabi T10Josh Little (Pretoria Capitals)
“Technically the second,” as the man himself put it, Irish player to play in a league with IPL association (after Eoin Morgan), Josh Little’s rise in 2022 has earned him the status of a T20 superstar. He was the second-leading bowler in T20Is last year with 39 T20 wickets at 18.92 and was the joint-second-leading bowler at The Hundred with 13 wickets at an average of 8.00. He has also been contracted to the Gujarat Titans at the IPL and will now play in the SA20 for Pretoria Capitals, with a brief stop in Zimbabwe for Ireland’s ODI series. Little is known for his ability to bowl at pace, exploit swing through the air and move the ball off the seam, which makes South Africa an ideal venue for him to display his talents. His fast-bowling team-mates include Anrich Nortje and Wayne Parnell which means Capitals would give Cape Town some tough competition in the pace stakes.Quinton de Kock (Durban’s Super Giants)
2022 was the leanest year of Quinton de Kock’s T20I career – in terms of average (25.30) – but he had a standout IPL, where he was the third-highest run-scorer overall. After his retirement from Test cricket in 2021, there are whispers over de Kock’s international future but South Africa could still get the best of him in the SA20. He has been put in charge of the Durban Super Giants despite a patchy run with international captaincy a few years ago. The good news for the Kingsmead-based side is that while de Kock seemed all at sea as a Test captain, his T20I form actually improved when he was leading South Africa. Between September 2019 and December 2020, he captained in 11 matches and scored 416 runs at 41.60, including three fifties, during the period.Donovan Ferreira (Joburg Super Kings)
Little-known Donovan Ferreira became one of the biggest buys of the auction when the Joburg Super Kings splashed out R5.5 (USD 320,000) million for him and you may be wondering what they saw. Ferreira has played 26 T20 matches in South Africa and was the sixth-highest run-scorer at the provincial T20 cup in the 2021-22 season with 152 runs in five matches at a strike rate of 153.33. He scored an 88-ball 98 for the Titans in a one-day cup match against North-West this summer and seems to have caught the eye of those with deep pockets. Plenty will be expected of him in this competition.Andile Phehlukwayo (Paarl Royals)
As one of the most notable names to be overlooked at the auction, Andile Phehlukwayo was given a lifeline by the Boland-based team, who signed him as their wild card, and have essentially offered him the chance to resurrect his T20 career. Phehluklwayo has fallen down the pecking order at international level, with Dwaine Pretorius and most recently Marco Jansen being preferred over him. Phehlukwayo had also missed out on selection of the last T20 World Cups. Known for his ability to bowl change-ups and his finishing skills with the bat, the SA20 is Phehlukwayo’s chance to remind the selectors of his all-round skills.

From that unforgettable 5 for 6 to the less heralded but no less scintillating none for 19

Danyal Rasool17-Oct-20204-0-15-3 – Pakistan vs New Zealand, 2007 T20 World Cup semi-final
Halfway through this game, New Zealand sat relatively comfortably at 72 for 1, with Scott Styris and Brendon McCullum at the crease, as they looked for a strong finish. Shoaib Malik threw the ball to Gul in the 12th over, and as he began to grind through his gears, New Zealand’s momentum was cut to ribbons. The first over yielded three, before Gul sent down the first of the yorkers that would become a trademark. Two wickets in his second over saw the back of both Styris and Peter Fulton, before Gul went around the wicket to the big hitting Jacob Oram, a full delivery coaxing an edge through to the keeper. He would tie Ross Taylor up in the 18th over too, allowing just four runs, to finish his spell having given away just 15 runs. By this time, NZ were seven down for 120, and Gul had made the job much easier for Pakistan in the chase.4-0-28-3 – Pakistan vs India, 2007 T20 World Cup final
One of Gul’s best international performances, yet without doubt the most bittersweet. Once more, he was thrust in after India had begun well. Gautam Gambhir had just smashed Shahid Afridi for six, and at 82 for 2 in 11, India were slightly ahead. A wayward first over was followed by the wicket of the in-form Yuvraj Singh, the batsman too early on the shot with Gul completing a smart return catch. It would get better in his next when MS Dhoni tried to smash him out of Johannesburg. Gul’s delivery was like a guided missile locked in on its target, and as Dhoni connected with air, Gul left his stumps in a mess. There was time enough to snare Gambhir off his last ball, an attempted yorker the left-hander tried to paddle sweep, only to find Mohammad Asif at short fine-leg. Gul had single-handedly given Pakistan a huge sniff, even though they ended up agonisingly short.To many, Umar Gul’s 3-0-6-5 remains the best T20 spell ever•PA Images via Getty Images4-0-23-4 – Kolkata Knight Riders vs Kings XI Punjab, IPL 2008
Gul was a high-value pick in the inaugural edition of the IPL for the Kolkata Knight Riders, and he made good on the hype; only two bowlers – Sohail Tanvir and Shoaib Akhtar – had a better average than him all season. But it was in his final match that Gul served up his best IPL performance. Opening the bowling, he trapped James Hopes in front, before returning at the death to consign Kumar Sangakkara, who had raced to 64, to the same fate. The lower-middle order would then be no match for the yorker specialist, with Irfan Pathan and Piyush Chawla cleaned up in successive balls to restrict Kings XI Punjab to 174. He would go on to play a role with the bat, too, blitzing 24 off 11 to set up a final-over victory for his side alongside Sourav Ganguly.3-0-6-5 – Pakistan vs New Zealand, 2009 T20 World Cup
If Gul wanted to have his achievements tattooed on his person, his figures in this match would make the cut. The best T20I figures at the time – to many, the best spell in T20I history no matter what the record books say – Gul ripped the heart out of New Zealand to convert a contest into a cakewalk. Only introduced in the 13th over, Gul made sure New Zealand were done before he could finish his spell. The wicket of Styris – thanks to a 35-metre running catch from Afridi – set things in motion, but it was all Gul thereafter. His devastating yorkers sent Peter McGlashan back, before he returned to rattle the stumps of Nathan McCullum and James Franklin with toe-crushers far better batsmen would have been helpless against. Kyle Mills’ scalp completed the five-for, and New Zealand were shot out for 99.3-0-19-0 – Pakistan vs South Africa, 2009 T20 World Cup semi-final
An unlikely candidate based on the figures, perhaps, but you’d have to remember the game, and the extraordinary tautness of the mood, to understand why this makes the list. Pakistan had set South Africa 150 to chase down for a spot in the final, and Jacques Kallis looked like he had set the foundation for the chase. Gul himself was spanked for ten in his first, but a splendid 17th over, just after Fawad Alam had conceded 15, saw the asking rate soar above 12.He wouldn’t get any wickets, but the length meant Kallis could never get under the ball, and the pendulum swung Pakistan’s way. It came down to the penultimate over, with South Africa needing 28, and Gul needed to rein in Albie Morkel and JP Duminy. In a glorious chapter of Golden Age Umar Gul, South Africa had to face six yorkers in a row; they might well have all landed in the same spot for their accuracy. Just six singles were scavenged from that over, and Gul had booked his side another shot at T20 glory.

If your favorite baseball team's manager is producing foodstuffs from his pocket in the middle of the game, it is likely that things are going well for your squad.

Milwaukee Brewers fans learned that firsthand Friday during their team's game against the Washington Nationals.

During the game, Brewers manager Pat Murphy stopped for an in-game interview with Apple TV's Tricia Whitaker. Murphy told Whitaker he liked to eat during games, and proved it.

"I like a lot of different things during the game," Murphy said. "There's a pancake—actually, I got a little pocket pancake right here that I munch on."

He then bit into said pancake to Whitaker's delight—even offering her a bite, which she accepted.

"What else do you keep in your pocket?" Whitaker asked.

"Whatever fits," Murphy replied.

It must be working, as Milwaukee opened up a 9–2 lead on the Nationals through five innings. The Brewers lead the National League Central with a 64-44 record this season.

The New York Yankees are weighing what adjustments will need to be made when Giancarlo Stanton returns to the lineup in the near future. Stanton missed the first two months of the season while dealing with tendinitis in both elbows, but he's started a rehab assignment as he approaches his return.

When the 35-year-old is activated from the injured list, he figures to take over his spot as the Yankees designated hitter. That means Ben Rice, who has been in the DH role 39 times this season, will likely have to return to the field. Manager Aaron Boone said Wednesday that it's possible Rice spends some time at catcher, according to Jack Curry of the YES Network.

Rice hasn't started a single game at catcher this season, but he played the position for the majority of his time in the minor leagues, making a total of 121 catching appearances. He's served there sparingly this season, logging a total of 6 2/3 innings behind the plate, but he could potentially be utilized at catcher when Austin Wells needs a day off.

New York hasn't hesitated from shifting the defense around this season, having already moved Jazz Chisholm Jr. from second base to third. Now, with Stanton's return looming, the Yankees could slot in Rice at catcher to regularly keep his bat in the lineup.

This season, Rice, 26, is slashing .240/.326/.495 with 12 home runs and 25 RBIs.

Neymar has reportedly suffered another injury setback as his bid to be part of Brazil's 2026 World Cup squad hangs in the balance. The 33-year-old had recently returned from a hamstring injury and just when he was settling in to playing again for Santos, the former Barcelona star is now set to miss their crucial clash with Internacional because of a new issue.

• Hype over Neymar move wearing off

  There was a huge sense of excitement when news circulated that Neymar could return to his boyhood club at the start of 2025 following the cancellation of his Al-Hilal contract. Sure enough, the ex-Paris Saint-Germain star was unveiled by the Brazilian giants in late January, with the attacker eager to regain top form and get himself back into the international picture. While a return of seven goals and three assists in 25 matches in all competitions does not make for bad reading, Neymar has repeatedly been out injured. That has coincided with the veteran missing many games, with Santos currently hovering just above the relegation zone. Now, BeIN Sports are reporting that he has been dealing with knee discomfort throughout the week and therefore he will miss Monday's clash with fellow strugglers Internacional in a battle between 17th and 15th in Brasileiro Serie A, respectively. They add that there is no structural damage but Neymar's pain has been enough to sideline him and raise concern within the club. 

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Question marks over Neymar's Santos future

  Neymar's contract at Santos expires at the end of this year, meaning he could be a free agent in early 2026, with a World Cup half a year away. So far, there has been no contract breakthrough, although club president Marcelo Teixeira appears confident a deal can be struck. 

  He said earlier this month: "Neymar's project is the 2026 World Cup. If there's consensus, he will extend. There is great trust between him and the club, and I believe we'll find a solution at the right moment."

  However, there is no guarantee he will stay, but a move to rivals, Fluminense, has been ruled out by club president Mario Bittencourt.

  He tweeted: "Regarding Neymar, I clarify that there has been no recent contact between Fluminense and the player, or his staff. Fluminense has immense respect for Santos and, obviously, the club and the player are 100% dedicated to winning the remaining games in the Brazilian Championship."

• Ancelotti not giving up on Neymar

  Despite not picking him in recent Brazil squads, former Real Madrid manager and current Selecao boss Carlo Ancelotti has issued an ultimatum to Neymar: Stay fit and perform well, and you may go to the 2026 World Cup.

  He said just under a fortnight ago: "Neymar is on the list of players who can go to the World Cup. He has six months to make the final list. Neymar has recovered, but he needs to show performance. When the Brazilian league ends, he’ll have some vacation time, and then he must show his quality and physical condition again."

  The former AC Milan boss also offered some words of advice for the Brazilian great in his bid to play at next year's iconic tournament in North America. 

  "The truth is that soccer today asks for many things, not just talent. Also physical condition, intensity. hopefully Neymar can be at his best level," Ancelotti said. "He needs to play more centrally, not as a winger. Wingers in today’s soccer are players you need to help also defensively. When you play a little bit more inside the defensive work is much less than if you play as a winger."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty
  

  What comes next for Neymar and Santos?

  A Neymar-less Santos travel to Internacional on Monday night, hoping to ease their relegation fears. They sit one place and three points above the drop zone ahead of their final four fixtures of the season. After this encounter, they take on Sport Recife, Juventude RS, and Cruzeiro as they attempt to maintain their top-flight status. Whether Neymar will play a part in that remains to be seen.