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Hefty 229 not sufficient as Somerset pile through to five-wicket win

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay12-Jun-2025

Sean Dickson marked his return to Somerset’s team with top score of 76 as they made it four wins from as many Vitality Blast group games with a five-wicket victory over Middlesex in a Taunton run-feast.Middlesex ran up 229 for five – the highest ever Blast total by a visiting side at the Cooper Associates Ground – after losing the toss, Max Holden striking 87 not out off 47 balls and Ben Geddes a career-best 69 from 32 deliveries, including seven sixes.In reply, Somerset reached 235 for five with four balls to spare, Dickson, back after a broken finger, hitting five sixes and six fours in his 38-ball knock and Lewis Gregory making a rapid 58 not out.Middlesex were given a brisk start by Stephen Eskinazi and Kane Williamson, who posted 39 in less than four overs before Eskinazi was bowled by Riley Meredith attempting a scoop.Williamson was visibly frustrated to fall for 28 off 17 balls, caught at deep square off fellow Kiwi Matt Henry to make it 58 for two in the sixth over.From then on, the innings was all about Holden and Geddes, both of whom greeted left-arm spinner Lewis Goldsworthy with sixes in taking the total to 103 for two at the halfway stage.Craig Overton had impressed in his opening three overs before Geddes struck him for a straight six into the River Town and pulled another maximum at the end of his stint.Geddes went to a majestic 25-ball half-century, clearing the ropes for a sixth time, off Gregory, and then sent another ball into the river off Ben Green before Holden moved to an equally impressive half-century off 30 deliveries.Their partnership ended when Geddes was caught at long-off, Meredith striking again with his next ball as Leus du Plooy was brilliantly caught at long-on by Overton. A pulled four by Holden off Gregory brought up the 200 in the 18th over and Jack Davies hit the 12th six of the innings in the final over.Somerset lost Will Smeed to the fifth delivery of their innings, bowled by Noah Cornwell. Tom Kohler-Cadmore cleared the ropes three times before Tom Banton fell to Ryan Higgins to make it 41 for two in the fourth over.Kohler-Cadmore quickly followed to Cornwell and it was 88 for four in the ninth over when Tom Abell slog-swept a boundary catch off Luke Hollman to depart for 24.But Dickson was starting to blossom, producing a wide range of attacking shots in moving to a 24-ball fifty, reached with a reverse-swept six off Zafar Gohar. Gregory was caught off a Hollman no-ball as 18 came off the 13th over and the home side still had hope.Dickson smashed Cornwell for a straight six and Gregory rode his luck further when dropped on the boundary by du Plooy off Gohar, hitting three sixes in the same over. After Dixon holed out to long-off, the Somerset skipper hit his fifth maximum to reach a 21-ball half-century.Ben Green was dropped in the closing overs, du Plooy again the guilty fielder, before another Gregory six completed a remarkable victory.

حقق فريق الهلال السعودي انتصارًا مهمًا على مضيفه الغرافة القطري بنتيجة 2-1، في المباراة التي جمعت بينهما ضمن منافسات بطولة دوري أبطال آسيا.

وأقيمت المباراة بين الهلال والغرافة، على أرضية ملعب ثاني بن جاسم، ضمن منافسات مرحلة المجموعات بدوري أبطال آسيا.

وسجل سالم الدوسري، الهدف الأول لـ الهلال بعد كرة عرضية رائعة من كانسيلو وارتقاء ورأسية من الدوسري من داخل منطقة الجزاء وتتحول في المرمى.

 ترتيب الدوري السعودي بعد نهاية الجولة السابعة

وجاء هدف الهلال الثاني بعد تمريرة من ثيو هيرنانديز واستلام من كايو، الذي صوب كرة قوية من حدود منطقة الجزاء لتسكن في الشباك مباشرة.

وقلص أيوب العلوي الفارق بتسجيله هدف الغرافة الوحيد بعد تمريرة من دجالو، حولها بتصوية مميزة، لتسكن مرمى الهلال، وذلك في الدقيقة الثامنة من الوقت بدل الضائع للشوط الثاني. أهداف فوز الهلال أمام الغرافة في دوري أبطال آسيا

وبهذا الفوز وصل رصيد الهلال إلى 12 نقطة من 4 انتصارات متتالية حتى الآن، ويتصدر ترتيب المجموعة في بطولة دوري أبطال آسيا عن دول الغرب.

بينما تجمد رصيد الغرافة عند 3 نقاط في المركز التاسع بجدول ترتيب المجموعة من الفوز بمباراة واحدة وتلقى 3 هزائم.

Arsenal have built an outrageously talented squad over the last five years or so, one capable of winning the Premier League and Champions League.

However, for all the incredible stars Mikel Arteta has signed over the seasons, from Declan Rice to David Raya, it would be fair to say his most important player remains Bukayo Saka.

The Hale Ender has transformed from an academy prospect into a world-class forward, and the fact that he produced his 100th league goal involvement on his 200th appearance at the weekend is a testament to that.

So, it’s incredibly exciting to see that the club are producing another academy talent who looks destined to become someone of Saka-level importance in the years to come.

Saka's academy career

Saka joined Arsenal in the Arsenal academy set-up at seven years old, after spending some time with Watford.

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The youngster’s first game for the Gunners’ U18 side came in a 4-1 loss to Fulham’s U18s in August 2017, and while he failed to make much of an impact in that game, he did end that season with eight goals and four assists in 22 games.

The following season started with the “future legend,” as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, continuing to play for the U18s while also making appearances for the U23s.

However, while he was used in the FA Youth Cup at the turn of the year, and the final of the U18s Premier League, it was increasingly clear that the young dynamo was too good to stay in that age group, and so the U21s became where he spent most of his time.

In all, the Ealing-born gem made 24 appearances for the U23s across 18/19, in which he scored six goals and provided nine assists, but something else happened that season: he made his first-team debut.

Former manager Unai Emery gave him a chance off the bench in a Europa League clash with Ukrainian side Vorskla Poltava in November, and then started him at home against Qarabağ FK a month later.

Saka’s youth record

Team

U18s

U23s

Appearances

28

25

Goals

16

6

Assists

6

9

All Stats via Transfermarkt

With him now featuring for the senior side, he would make his final appearances in junior football the following season, playing a single game against Everton in late August for the U23s.

In all, Saka produced 37 goal involvements in 53 appearances for the junior sides before establishing himself as Arsenal’s most important player over the following years, and now it looks like Hale End has produced someone else capable of doing the same.

Arsenal's future Saka

While last season saw Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly make it into the first-team, the Hale Ender set to become as crucial as Saka is someone even younger: Max Dowman.

It feels like the 15-year-old is the most talked-about youth prospect Arsenal have had in a generation or more, and it’s not just coming from supporters.

For example, at the start of last season, respected talent scout Jacek Kulig went as far as to claim the teenager was the “most exciting prospect” he had seen “since Lamine Yamal”, and considering the Spaniard’s absurd ability, that is an astounding thing to say.

As if that wasn’t enough, you also had senior professionals waxing lyrical about the youngster, with Rice labelling him “the best 15-year-old in the country.”

Finally, away from players and scouts, Hale End expert Will Balsam probably had the boldest opinion of the lot, arguing that the Chelmsford-born gem is “one of the greatest footballing brains that’s ever come through Hale End.”

Dowman in 24/25

Appearances

23

Minutes

1945′

Goals

19

Assists

5

Goal Involvements per Match

1.04

Minutes per Goal Involvement

81.04′

All Stats via Transfermarkt

As if that wasn’t enough, he also claimed that he’s “the biggest talent in England,” a statement supported by his statistics for the youth sides last season.

For example, in just 23 appearances, totalling 1945 minutes, he scored 19 times and provided five assists, which comes out to an average of 1.04 goal involvements per match, or one every 81.04 minutes.

Finally, what makes it really feel like he could become as big a star for the first team as Saka has is that in his few senior appearances, he has looked incredible, most notably against Leeds United at home and Newcastle United in pre-season.

Ultimately, there is still a long way to go for Dowman, but as things stand, he looks destined to become a world-beater for Arsenal.

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Everton are now reportedly keeping tabs on an “unbelievable” player who has enjoyed significant recent success at international level.

Moyes upbeat despite Everton loss

The Blues were beaten 2-0 away to Manchester City in the Premier League on Saturday, with the visitors unable to contain the in-form Erling Haaland.

Despite the result, Everton manager David Moyes still managed to feel positive about what he saw, with defeats at the Etihad never too concerning.

“I’m pleased with how we played. We were a bit disappointed when we lost the first goal. It was only 1-0 but to give them a second goal quickly was a killer for us. But there are a lot of good things we could talk about and what we’ve done well. We’ve come here and given them a bit of a game.

“Maybe we’d like to do better, but we’re only growing at the moment and we’re still trying to get better. We missed a couple of big chances in the first half, which might have altered things the way we were playing. We needed any opportunities we got to go in or to certainly get us something more positive than we did. So, look, no real problems with the performance overall – most of it.”

Everton have made a solid start to the new season, but that’s not to say that new signings in the January transfer window wouldn’t go amiss.

Everton eyeing move for "unbelievable" defender

Speaking to Everton News, journalist Graeme Bailey talked up the idea of Everton completing the signing of Toulouse centre-back Charlie Cresswell in January.

“Charlie Cresswell is doing very well in France, and this comes after a very good showing at the Euros. Everton are very much in the market for new defenders in 2026 and I am told that he is one they have watched. He certainly fits the profile of player David Moyes likes, and is one to keep an eye on.”

Cresswell has enjoyed an excellent year, winning the European Championships with England’s Under-21s and proving to be a key man, starting three matches.

The 23-year-old is also impressing in France with Toulouse, being hailed as “unbelievable” by presenter Joe Wainman, and he stands out as an excellent option for Everton.

While James Tarkowski remains a great player for the Blues, both in terms of quality and leadership, he is now 32 and a long-term successor needs to be found.

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If Everton managed to entice Cresswell to the club, he could be Jarrad Branthwaite’s centre-back partner for years to come, also enhancing his chances of forcing his way into the senior England setup at the same time.

أثار تراجع أداء ريال مدريد خلال الأسابيع الأخيرة قلق إدارة النادي على الرغم من أن فلورنتينو بيريز ومجلس إدارته يثقون بقدرة تشابي ألونسو على تجاوز هذه المرحلة.

ويواجه تشابي ألونسو فترة صعبة حالياً مع ريال مدريد، ويبدو أن هناك فجوة بين أفكاره وتطبيقها الفعلي على أرض الملعب ويسعى المدرب لحلها.

وكانت مباراة رايو فاليكانو الأخيرة قد شهدت شجاراً بين لاعبي ريال مدريد في وسط الملعب حول الأفكار التكتيكية وهو ما يجسد ذلك، وهناك خلاف واضح بين المدرب وبينهم، خاصة فينيسيوس جونيور ورودريجو.

وأفاد الصحفي “رومان مولينا” أن التغيير الكبير في نظام التدريب من كارلو أنشيلوتي إلى تشابي ألونسو قد أثار انزعاج العديد من نجوم ريال مدريد مما زاد من التوتر ضد المدرب الإسباني.

أقرأ أيضاً.. ثنائي الدوري الإنجليزي يستبعدان التعاقد مع رودريجو في يناير

وعلى الرغم من أنه لم يتم الكشف عن أسماء اللاعبين إلا أن بعض نجوم ريال مدريد كانوا يذهبون لقضاء إجازتهم في إيبيرا بدلاً من العودة لريال مدريد خلال فترة قيادة كارلو أنشيلوتي.

وقد اعتاد لاعبو ريال مدريد على هذه الراحة ولم يتمكنوا بعد من استيعاب أو تقبل مدى انضباط تشابي ألونسو، ويرغبون في إعادة تكرار نفس نمط الحياة مع المدرب الشاب لكن خطتهم لم تفلح.

وقد أثار هذا الموقف من تشابي ألونسو غضب بعض اللاعبين الذين أصبحوا يشعرون بأن المدرب الشاب يتدخل في حياتهم الشخصية بلا داعي، وقد يؤثر هذا الخلاف على حظوظه في البقاء في منصبه أو يسهل من عمله في الفريق.

وكانت تكهنات قد صدرت عن صحيفة “آس” الإسبانية أن إدارة ريال مدريد تفاجئت بتعامل ألونسو مع ترينت ألكسندر أرنولد، حيث كان النادي يتوقع منه دور أكثر أهمية خاصة بعد تعافيه من إصابته الأخيرة وقد أثار غيابه المستمر عن التشكيل الأساسي استغراب وارتباك داخلي.

وشكل استبعاد أرنولد على دكة البدلاء ضد رايو فاليكانو مفاجأة غير متوقعة على الإطلاق، ولم يدخل اللاعب الإنجليزي للملعب إلا بعد إصابة فيدي فالفيردي وقد ظهر عليه الاكتئاب وضعف الطاقة بشكل واضح في مشهد لم يمر مرور الكرام، لذلك فإن الغموض يسود حول دور اللاعب في الفريق وتردد ألونسو في الدفع به مع غياب كارفاخال.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Athletico-PR venceu o Grêmio por 2 a 1, de virada, na noite desta quarta-feira (18), em Porto Alegre, pela 27ª rodada doCampeonato Brasileiro. Com gol de Kaíque Rocha já nos acréscimos da partida, o Furacão conquistou três pontos importantes fora de casa.

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+ Veja tabela e classificação do Brasileirão-2023 clicando aqui

Com o resultado, o Tricolor Gaúcho estacionou nos 44 pontos, mas permaneceu na terceira colocação do Brasileirão. Já o Furacão foi à mesma pontuação e subiu para o quinto lugar.

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CINCO LANCES QUE MARCARAM O DUELO

> NA TRAAAAAVE! Com apenas um minuto de bola rolando, o meia Zapelli recebeu levantamento da direita e cabeceou, acertando a trave. Quase o primeiro gol dos visitantes em Porto Alegre.

> PLACAR ABERTO! Apesar do susto no minuto inicial, quem abriu o placar foi o Grêmio. Aos 6′, Cristaldo deu passe para Luis Suárez. O uruguaio acionou Lucas Besozzi, que finalizou de canhota e colocou o Imortal na frente.

> BEEEEENTO! Após contra-ataque rápido do Imortal, Cristaldo acionou Luis Suárez, que ficou livre na área e estava em posição perfeita para finalizar, mas o uruguaio parou na boa intervenção do goleiro Bento.

> TUDO IGUAL EM PORTO ALEGRE! Após boa troca de passes entre os jogadores do Athletico-PR, Zapelli, que já tinha acertado a trave, recebeu na área e acertou chute cruzado. Partida empatada.

> !VIRADA NOS ACRÉSCIMOS! Quando tudo se encaminhava para um empate na Arena do Grêmio, Kaíque Rocha subiu mais que todo mundo após cobrança de falta e cabeceou para o fundo da rede. Virada do Furacão já nos acréscimos!

Como foi o primeiro tempo?

A partida começou já com susto para os donos da casa após Zapelli acertar a trave, mas quem abriu o placar foi o Grêmio. Aos 6′, Lucas Besozzi finalizou de canhota e abriu o marcador. Apesar do gol sofrido, o Athletico-PR não se abalou e estava melhor na partida. Mesmo assim, Luis Suárez quase ampliou para o Imortal, mas parou na boa intervenção de Bento. Para coroar o bom momento no jogo, aos 37′, o Athletico-PR deixou tudo igual com Zapelli.

E a etapa final?

O jogo continuou aberto, apesar da superioridade do Grêmio na primeira metade do segundo tempo. O Furacão conseguiu levar perigo nos contra-ataques impulsionados por boas trocas de passes. O Imortal continuou pressionando em busca da vitória diante da sua torcida, mas o Athletico conseguiu a virada. Após cobrança de falta praticamente na entrada da área, o zagueiro Kaíque Rocha subiu mais que a marcação e garantiu os três pontos para os visitantes já nos acréscimos.

O que vem por aí?

Com o resultado, o Grêmio estacionou nos 44 pontos, mas permaneceu na terceira colocação do Brasileirão. Já o Athletico-PR foi à mesma pontuação e subiu para o quinto lugar. Na próxima rodada, o Tricolor Gaúcho visita o São Paulo já neste sábado (21), às 18h30, no Morumbi. Já o Furacão vai até o Nilton Santos enfrentar o Botafogo também no sábado, às 21h.

FICHA TÉCNICA
GRÊMIO 1 X 2 ATHLETICO-PR
27ª RODADA DO BRASILEIRÃO

Data e Horário: 18/10/2023, às 19h (de Brasília)
Local: Arena do Grêmio, em Porto Alegre (RS)
Árbitro: Luiz Flavio de Oliveira (SP)
Assistentes: Daniel Luis Marques (SP) e Thiaggo Americano Labes (SC)
VAR: Pablo Ramon Gonçalves Pinheiro (Fifa-RN)
Cartões amarelos: Canobbio, Alex Santana, Thiago Heleno, Cuello e Kaíque Rocha (Athletico-PR); Reinaldo e Luis Suárez (Grêmio)
Cartão vermelho: Reinaldo
Gols: Lucas Besozzi (1-0, aos 6′ do 1ºT), Zapelli (1-1, aos 37′ do 1ºT), Kaíque Rocha (1-2, aos 48′ do 2ºT)

GRÊMIO: Gabriel Grando; Fábio (João Pedro, após o intervalo), Geromel, Kanneman e Reinaldo; Nathan (Josué, aos 22′ do 2ºT), Cristaldo (Luan, aos 39′ do 2ºT) e Pepê; Iturbe (Everton Galdino, após o intervalo), Lucas Besozzi (Ferreira, após o intervalo) e Luís Suarez. Técnico: Renato Portaluppi.

ATHLETICO-PR: Bento; Cacá, Thiago Heleno e Lucas Esquivel; Erick (Alex Santana, após o intervalo), Fernandinho (Hugo Moura, aos 22′ do 2ºT), Canobbio e Cuello; Zapelli (Kaíque Rocha, aos 35′ do 2ºT), Vitor Bueno (Rômulo, aos 22′ do 2ºT) e Pablo (Arriagada, aos 35′ do 2ºT). Técnico: Wesley Carvalho.

“Just getting the call-up to come back into the squad is fantastic,” he said

Firdose Moonda18-Jul-2025

Devon Conway has described being back in New Zealand’s T20I side as “great” after last playing for them at the T20 World Cup more than a year ago. Conway has since turned down a central contract and was initially omitted from the touring group to Zimbabwe but Finn Allen’s foot injury opened the door for his return and he is relishing the chance to represent the country again.”It’s great to be back in this environment. It’s been a while, so just getting the call-up to come back into the squad is fantastic,” he said at the post-match press conference. “Obviously Finn Allen’s injury is unfortunate but for me it’s nice to get that opportunity to be with the squad again and see a couple of faces who I haven’t seen in a long period of time. And it was nice to contribute today to the win.”Conway’s 59 not out and the half-century stands he shared in with Rachin Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell helped New Zealand cruise to an eight-wicket win over Zimbabwe and to the top of the tri-series points table. Though he top-scored, it was not until the latter part of his innings that he looked comfortable after several top-edges off short balls from Zimbabwe’s seamers. Conway was dropped on 1 when he edged a back-of-a-length delivery from Richard Ngavara to Blessing Muzarabani at short third and then miscued two pull shots, which fell safely.Related

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“There was a lot of steep bounce in the surface, which was a little bit unexpected, but we adjusted and thankfully we only had to chase 121 and managed to get across the line,” he said. “With the new ball, especially their left-armer [Ngarava] was a massive challenge for us as batters. They bashed that wicket really hard and got a lot of steep bounce out of it, so it made it pretty hard for us batters early.”This match was being played on a fresh pitch after two previous fixtures earlier in the week, where the ball seemed to stick in the wicket. There are still four more round-robin games to be played before the final, which New Zealand will be confident of appearing in after winning their first two matches. They will next play South Africa on Tuesday, where Conway will be wary of Kwena Maphaka, also left-arm, against whom he top-edged in New Zealand’s opening match on Thursday.This is Conway’s first experience of working under new coach Rob Walter, who gave up the white-ball job with South Africa to take on the all-format role for New Zealand. Walter will be in charge of New Zealand for three years, which includes the next T20 and ODI World Cups. While Conway has not indicated if he would like to be considered for those tournaments, he has enjoyed working with Walter so far.”It’s just been a couple of days we’ve been with him but his positive mindset around T20 cricket has been nice and clear for us batters,” Conway said. “He’s brought positive energy and a slightly new way of thinking so it’s nice to have him on board and experimenting as to how he operates as the head coach.”

MatériaMais Notícias

O diretor de futebol do São Paulo, Carlos Belmonte, falou sobre a reestruturação financeira que o Tricolor está passando e destacou: o clube não está mais vendendo jogadores por necessidade, mas agora com critérios maiores para que o time não perca dinheiro e consiga valorizar seus atletas.

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O dirigente deu a declaração durante o evento de comemoração da conquista da Copa do Brasil. Segundo suas palavras, na última janela, o São Paulo venceu jogadores valiosos por um valor bem menor do que deveria. Um dos exemplos citados foi Gabriel Sara.

– O que muda para nosso bem é que até antes dessa janela a gente vendia por necessidade. Um dos exemplos é Gabriel Sara, vendemos por 9 milhões de libras. É um bom valor, mas ele vale muito mais que isso e vai valer mais. Ele vai ter muito sucesso na Premier League. Naquele momento, éramos obrigados a vender – explicou.

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Sem nenhuma saída na última janela, Belmonte não descartou que eventuais negociações podem acontecer. Entretanto, estas seriam muito melhores analisadas e não feitas pela necessidade, mas sim por boas propostas ou vontades que partam dos próprios atletas. Durante sua fala, o dirigente ainda citou que existem muitas joias de Cotia que devem ser aproveitadas no profissional a partir do próximo ano.

– As vendas podem ocorrer se acharmos corretos e não mais por necessidade. A necessidade caso o atleta queria ir para Europa, alguns jogadores precisam ganhar rodagem. Temos um Sub-17 com jogadores que precisam ganhar espaço ano que vem. A gente quer manter todo mundo, mas vamos ouvir as propostas – concluiu.

Tottenham boss Thomas Frank has lavished praise on a player he’s used quite sparingly recently, following a run of impressive performances in training lately.

Thomas Frank dealt a creativity concern at Tottenham

Spurs’ recent run of games all carry a recurring theme — that being the Lilywhites’ shortage of creative spark.

As a result, concerns surround the team’s ingenuity, or lack there of, in the final third — with a series of underwhelming attacking performances ultimately exposing an absence of real inventiveness for the most part.

From a 2-1 loss to Aston Villa last weekend to a scrappy 2-1 win at Leeds prior to the international break, alongside their dramatic 1-1 draw at home to Wolves and a disappointing stalemate away to Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League, it is quite fair to say that Frank’s side have struggled to consistently unlock defenses.

Thomas Frank’s managerial record at Tottenham so far

Stats

Matches

12

Wins

6

Draws

3

Losses

3

Points

18

Points per game

1.75

It took late comebacks to rescue a point against Bodo/Glimt and bottom Premier League side Wolves, which was a real worry for Frank, while two deflected efforts from Mathys Tel and Mohammed Kudus nicked a scrappy victory at Elland Road.

Against Villa, despite Rodrigo Bentancur getting the home side off to a flying start, Spurs appeared to mostly sit on that lead and didn’t create many clear-cut openings thereafter.

This gifted Unai Emery’s side a route back into the game, with two wonder goals from Morgan Rogers and Emiliano Buendia condemning Frank to Spurs’ first defeat in all competitions since their 1-0 loss to Bournemouth.

Summer signing Xavi Simons, who came from RB Leipzig with high expectations, has struggled to impose his attacking flair in games, and this has led to criticism aimed at the Dutchman as he continues adapting to a new country and the toughest league in world football.

Frank, speaking in his pre-Monaco press conference, moved to defend Simons once again.

The manager also made an interesting claim about last season’s top scorer, Brennan Johnson, who’s largely been limited to substitute appearances recently.

The Wales international finished 2024/2025 with 18 goals and seven assists in all competitions, including that Europa League final-winning strike against Man United — arguably the most vital contribution of Tottenham’s recent history.

Thomas Frank says Brennan Johnson has scored for fun in training lately

Despite this, Johnson has been reduced to brief substitute cameos in each of Tottenham’s last five Premier League outings, but did start in their last European outing against Bodo/Glimt.

Kudus, who’s impressed as one of Spurs’ star players of the campaign so far, is largely responsible for keeping Johnson glued to the bench.

However, Frank is adamant that the 24-year-old remains a “very important” player, and says that Johnson has been scoring a lot of goals in Tottenham training lately as he bids to battle his way back into the team.

Johnson’s pace and clinical finishing offer Spurs a valuable attacking option, especially when the team needs fresh energy.

If he continues to impress in training and seizes opportunities on the pitch, Johnson has the potential to become a key figure in Tottenham’s squad once again.

His past numbers reflect how the ex-Nottingham Forest sensation could still have a key role to play for Frank, with only Dominic Solanke and Tel averaging more shots per 90 for Tottenham in the league last season.

James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski are still yet to return from their long-term injuries as well, and once they do, Spurs will surely be a real force going forward, with Randal Kolo Muani also getting up to speed and Solanke poised to return soon.

With new performers emerging, India captain sees expanding talent pool as a welcome challenge before England ODIs

Shashank Kishore14-Jul-2025

India captain Harmanpreet Kaur is excited to have a “healthy headache” after a long time, one that involves having several options to choose from for certain roles.Take the opening spot for example. Pratika Rawal, with an average of 63 in 11 innings, remains the preferred opener alongside Smriti Mandhana for the upcoming ODI series against England. However, Shafali Verma is still in contention, thanks to her recent form in the WPL, domestic cricket, and the T20Is.This is something head coach Amol Muzumdar confirmed last week after India’s T20I series win. If Shafali returns, Rawal could find herself competing with the in-form Harleen Deol for the No. 3 spot.Related

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“After a long time, we’re having a healthy headache of having to pick the best team,” Harmanpreet said ahead of the first ODI in Southampton. “Earlier, we didn’t have so many options. Credit to Shafali and Pratika for the kind of performances they’ve put in.”Even Harleen, whenever she’s got the opportunity, she has shown she can also take the responsibility for the team. Clarity as a captain is something I give to all players so that when we go to the ground, we know our role and what kind of cricket we’re going to play.”Everyone knows their role. A lot of clarity is there compared to previously. It’s very important as a player and team to get that. When you’re playing for the country, you want clarity of roles. All credit goes to the team and staff for giving that clarity to the players.”The depth isn’t just in the batting, but in the spin department too. Over the last two years, the spin-offs from the WPL have led to a number of players, like Saika Ishaque, Shreyanka Patil, Tanuja Kanwer, breaking through. The latest among them to make a mark is left-arm spinner N Shree Charani, who was named Player of the Series in the T20Is for her series topping 10 wickets.”She’s a key player for us,” Harmanpreet said of the 20-year-old Charani. “In the WPL, where she played two-three [two] matches [for Delhi Capitals], she was impressive. From there only, we all [team management and selectors] had a chat that she can be a very good option for us.”We kept rotating players to see who fits in well, who could give most two the team. She has been outstanding for all of us. A player like her is very important. Along with her, even Radha [Yadav] has made a solid comeback. Hope their combination will keep helping the team like it is.”Radha, as Harmanpreet alluded to, wasn’t part of the original T20I squad, and only made it as a late replacement for the injured Shuchi Upadhyay. Her ground fielding and catching, along with tight left-arm spin, came in for plaudits from the coaches during the T20I series. And Harmanpreet couldn’t have been happier at her coming of age.Radha Yadav has experience as well as pedigree•Getty Images

“Radha is one of the most important teammates for us,” she said. “When she was not doing well, it was a big headache [for the team management] how we can extract performances out of her. She’s a player I as a captain don’t want to lose at any cost.”In between, she got time to work on herself. When she came back, we had a chat that whatever she’s been doing has been helping. In this [T20I] series when she came into the team, she had the same attitude. She wanted to keep bowling all the time, whether for the first six overs or slog overs. She worked hard during the break and improved herself. In ODIs also she can be useful for the team.”Another encouraging development for the team management is the emergence of Amanjot Kaur. Her rise comes at a crucial time, with key allrounder Pooja Vastrakar sidelined by a stress injury that puts her World Cup participation in doubt. With pace spearhead Renuka Singh also unavailable, Amanjot has stepped up to share the seam-bowling responsibilities alongside Arundhati Reddy.”In the first year of WPL [2023], she was unlucky, didn’t get so many opportunities to bat or bowl. The team we had, it was a big line-up with a lot of bowling options,” Harmanpreet said. “This season, with Pooja not there, she played that role very well. In the batting also, she proved herself.”She wants to contribute across all three departments. The WPL and T20I series, even tri-series [in Sri Lanka], when he has had opportunities, she has contributed. She wants to do something in all departments. It feels good to see a player with that attitude.”In recent times, India’s ODI approach has undergone a slight change. From wanting to bat deep, they’re now trying to embrace a more robust approach as evident in the recent tri-series against South Africa and Sri Lanka, where India made 276, 275, 337 and 342 during their title-winning run.”In the ODI cricket we’ve been playing for the last couple of years, we’ve always focused on scoring more than 300 with the bat,” she said. “It gives the bowlers some cushioning. Earlier we had five bowling options, and it becomes slightly tough if we have only so many runs on the board. Recently, like in the T20Is, we went for four spin options. I think somewhere that has helped.”When we’re batting, we want to look for more than 300 and when we’re bowling, we have good bowling options so that there’s no extra pressure on any one bowler, because anyone can have an off day. We should have another option to be in the game. Pratika is our sixth bowling option; she’s been doing well in between. We’ll try to get more options in bowling. Our fielding was outstanding in T20I series, so we’ll try and carry that momentum.”