Bell's quality sets up Bears' last-ball victory

ScorecardIan Bell set up a last-ball victory•Getty Images

Ian Bell’s excellent 67 steered the Birmingham Bears to a thrilling four wicket victory off the final ball of the NatWest Blast T20 match against the Derbyshire Falcons at Derby.The Bears appeared to be coasting in pursuit of the Falcons 141 for 7 when Bell was leading the chase but his dismissal in the 19th over left the game in the balance and it needed a four from Ateeq Javid off the last ball to deny the home side.Derbyshire’s new head coach John Sadler, whose appointment for the rest of the season was confirmed before the game, said: “It’s disappointing but that’s T20 cricket and we did well to get back in the game.”Former Derbyshire captain Rikki Clarke had taken 2 for 17 off four overs as the Falcons struggled in the first part of their innings before Wayne Madsen with 38 from 34 balls and some late blows from Shiv Thakor took them to a challenging score on a slow pitch.The Falcons innings began with Clarke striking Billy Godleman on the helmet with the first ball before the opener pulled Oliver Hannon-Dolby to deep midwicket.John Sadler, Derbyshire head coach•Getty Images

Chesney Hughes pulled Clarke for six but two balls later drove low to mid off where Bell took a good catch and Clarke struck again when Neil Broom top-edged a pull to cover in the fifth over.The accuracy of the Bears attack restricted the Falcons to 58 for 3 at the halfway point and Madsen responded by lifting Jetan Patel over midwicket for six before pulling Mark Adair just past the diving Chris Woakes for four.Madsen dispatched another short ball from Patel for six but Hamish Rutherford was lbw in the same over for 33 from 31 balls when he tried to work the off-spinner behind square.Adair ended Madsen’s innings when a top-edged pull landed in the gloves of Luke Ronchi and although Jimmy Neesham drove the next ball high into the stands, he edged a drive in the next over and was well caught by Ronchi diving low to his left.Thakor gave the innings a late flourish by pulling Hannon-Dolby and Woakes for sixes in an unbeaten 20 from 13 balls as 26 came from the last two overs to give the Falcons a respectable total.But Bell and Sam Hain gave the Bears an excellent start by taking 44 from the first five overs with Bell taking three fours off consecutive balls from Thakor.Bell drove Matt Critchley over long on for six but the leg-spinner struck three balls later when Hain sliced a drive to cover although after 10 overs, the Bears were well placed at 73 for 1.Alex Hughes should have removed Bell on 42 but Broom at deep midwicket spilled the catch diving forward and he completed his 50 from 39 balls before Laurie Evans became the latest batsman to top-edge a pull.Bell drove Andy Carter for six but Ronchi drove Alex Hughes to long off in the 18th over and Bell holed out to long on in the next to give the Falcons a chance of victory with the Bears needingAaron Thomason scooped Neesham to square leg and although the next ball shot through for four byes, Woakes was run out going for a second off the penultimate ball but Javid’s drive beat the bowler’s despairing dive to clinch victory.

فيديو | فينيسيوس يُسجل هدفين لـ ريال مدريد أمام برشلونة ويحتفل على طريقة رونالدو

تقدم فريق ريال مدريد بهدفين مبكرين أمام برشلونة في مباراة الكلاسيكو الجارية بين الفريقين بكأس السوبر الإسباني.

ويواجه ريال مدريد نظيره برشلونة على ملعب “الأول بارك” في المملكة العربية السعودية، بنهائي كأس السوبر الإسباني.

وتقدم ريال مدريد مبكرًا أمام برشلونة عن طريق فينيسيوس جونيور في الدقيقة السابعة من عمر المباراة.

الهدف الأول جاء بعد تمريرة رائعة من بيلينجهام ووصلت الكرة إلى البرازيلي، بعدما راوغ حارس برشلونة وسدد كرة داخل الشباك. هدف فينيسيوس الأول أمام برشلونة

والهدف الثاني أحرزه فينيسيوس أيضًا في الدقيقة العاشرة وذلك بعد تمريرة من مواطنه رودريجو. هدف فينيسيوس الثاني أمام برشلونة

واحتفل فينيسيوس على طريقة النجم البرتغالي كريستيانو رونالدو لاعب النصر السعودي الحالي، وريال مدريد السابق.

ويمكنك متابعة التغطية المباشرة لمباراة ريال مدريد وبرشلونة لحظة بلحظة من خلال الرابط.

بوروسيا دورتموند يتحرك لاستعادة سانشو من مانشستر يونايتد

يسعى نادي بوروسيا دورتموند إلى استعادة خدمات اللاعب جادون سانشو، من مانشستر يونايتد، في موسم الانتقالات الشتوية الحالي.

كان سانشو قد انضم إلى مانشستر يونايتد قادمًا من بوروسيا دورتموند، في صيف 2021، مقابل 73 مليون جنيه إسترليني.

ولم يخض سانشو أي مباراة رفقة مانشستر يونايتد منذ أزمته القوية مع المدرب إريك تين هاج، بعد مواجهة آرسنال في سبتمبر الماضي.

وغاب سانشو عن تلك المباراة، حيث لم يتواجد في قائمة الفريق، وبرر تين هاج الأمر بكون اللاعب لا يؤدي بشكل جيد في التدريبات.

وتسبب ذلك الأمر في انفعال سانشو حيث أصدر بيانًا لاذعًا عبر حسابه الشخصي على مواقع التواصل الاجتماعي، ووصف نفسه بـ”كبش الفداء”.

ورغم حذف سانشو لما كتبه، إلا أن أزمته مع تين هاج لم تنتهِ، خاصة أنه لم يقدم اعتذاره إلى المدرب الهولندي، مما أدى إلى غيابه عن المباريات منذ ذلك الوقت.

اقرأ أيضًا.. ديالو يُكذب سكاي سبورتس بشأن مشاركته في كأس أمم إفريقيا

وحسبما ذكرت شبكة “سكاي سبورتس” العالمية، فإن هناك رغبة قوية لدى بوروسيا دورتموند في استعادة سانشو، على سبيل الإعارة هذا الشهر.

وأوضحت أن هناك محادثات بالفعل بين الناديين حول تلك الخطوة التي قد تعني عودة سانشو إلى دورتموند، لمدة 6 أشهر.

وأفادت أن اللاعب نفسه حريص على العودة إلى النادي الألماني لأنه يعتبر هذا الخيار مثاليًا للعثور على أفضل مستوياته مرة أخرى.

وأشارت إلى أن سانشو منح الضوء الأخضر لتلك الصفقة، في انتظار توصل الناديين إلى الاتفاق النهائي.

 

Man City Ace On £230k-p/w Slammed After England Miss

A number of England fans have flocked to Twitter to tear into Manchester City star Jack Grealish after he missed a huge opportunity for his country this week.

What’s the latest on that Jack Grealish miss for England?

With Premier League football put on pause for a week, a number of the division’s top players have left to go and represent their nations in qualifiers for Euro 2024.

Grealish was one name on that list as England started their campaign with a trip away to Naples against Euro 2020 winners Italy in what turned out to be a tight game.

Ultimately, Gareth Southgate and co picked up all three points as first-half goals from West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice and Tottenham Hotspur ace Harry Kane gave the Three Lions a 2-0 lead going into the break.

In the second half, the Italians pulled one back thanks to debutant Mateo Retegui before Luke Shaw’s red card in the 80th minute made for a nervy ending.

England held on for the win, but had Grealish managed to score earlier in the match, things may have been a lot more comfortable for him and his teammates over the course of the 90 minutes.

Indeed, just after Kane scored the second goal of the game – his record-breaking 54th for his country – good work from Bukayo Saka put the Spurs man in again, who picked Grealish out at the far post with a great cross.

However, with almost the whole goal at his mercy, the Man City ace got his technique all wrong as he flashed the ball wide and out for a goal kick when a goal looked almost certain.

For a player of his quality – Grealish currently earns a reported £230k a week – he surely had to score and that goal would have put the game to bed. As seen in this image, the player could hardly believe it himself.

Shocked by the miss, a number of fans took to Twitter to dish out some harsh words. Here are the strongest reactions…

Niels Nkounkou could resurrect Everton career

Niels Nkounkou could be given a chance to resurrect his career at Everton once his loan spell at Saint-Etienne ends.

The Lowdown: Loaned out

Nkounkou is currently on loan at Saint-Etienne in France, and has impressed in recent games.

In his last five matches in Ligue 2, he has scored one goal and made four assists from left-back, and also featured 18 times for Cardiff City in the Championship earlier in the season, producing one assist (Transfermarkt).

The Latest: Caught the eye

As per Football Insider, Nkounkou is set to be given the chance to resurrect his career at Goodison Park this summer.

He has ‘caught the eye’ with recent performances, with Saint-Etienne tempted to trigger the buy option in his contract.

However, that fee is thought to be ‘relatively high’, and Sean Dyche could recall him back into the squad, with Ruben Vinagre set to leave after his loan spell.

The Verdict: Why not?

With Vinagre set to leave, a spot at left-back will open up in the squad for a player to compete with Vitaliy Mykolenko.

Hailed as a ‘magnificent find’ by pundit and former left-back Stephen Warnock, Nkounkou has not always been given the chance to impress at the Toffees, with just seven first-team appearances made.

Still only 22 years of age, the Frenchman still has a lot of potential, and could flourish on Merseyside under a new manager in Dyche.

Southampton: Salisu set for injury return

Southampton centre-back Mohammed Salisu could return to the team for today’s trip to Leeds United, Ruben Selles has confirmed.

The Lowdown: Salisu injured

Salisu has made 20 appearances for Southampton in the Premier League this season, emerging as a very important player, however he missed last week’s 1-0 victory against Chelsea.

The centre-back picked up a knock prior to the trip to Stamford Bridge, meaning he was omitted from the matchday squad, however there has now been a promising update, which indicates he could return this weekend…

The Latest: Set to return?

As quoted by Hampshire Live, recently appointed manager Selles clarified that the defender could be a part of his plans this afternoon, saying:

“We had [Mohammed] Salisu back in training this week. And we’re’ not sure that he will play but he has the option to play tomorrow and the rest of the squad is fit and ready to go.”

The Verdict: Good news

Hailed as ‘brilliant’ by members of the media, the 23-year-old has very much impressed in recent weeks, being ranked by Sofascore as the best player on the pitch against Wolverhampton Wanderers earlier this month, despite the Saints losing 2-1.

The 6 foot 3 colossus put in a performance of a similar standard in the 2-0 EFL Cup victory against reigning Premier League champions Manchester City, winning all of his aerial duels and making five clearances.

Selles’ side managed to keep a clean sheet in the Ghanaian’s absence last weekend, shutting Chelsea out to secure a vital 1-0 victory, but the new manager will still be very happy to have his first-choice centre-back available again.

Given the level of Salisu’s displays in recent weeks, it would not be a surprise to see either Jan Bednarek or Armel Bella-Kotchap drop to the bench, but it will be a tough call for Selles, after the much-improved performance last time out.

Arsenal have hit the jackpot on Bukayo Saka

Arsenal have produced their fair share of wonderful talents over the previous 25 years.

The likes of Ashley Cole, who went on to become arguably England’s finest left-back of modern times, Jack Wilshere, and Serge Gnabry have all come through the ranks at Hale End in recent times and enjoyed success either at the Gunners or elsewhere.

Recently, Mikel Arteta has been developing and creating an accessible pathway for youngsters thriving in the academy which will allow them to gain the recognition they deserve and have an opportunity to gain first-team football.

This has given players like Reiss Nelson, Eddie Nketiah and Folarin Balogun the chance to showcase their talents, and the Spaniard must be applauded for his long-term vision.

However, perhaps the finest player to emerge from Hale End in recent years is Bukayo Saka, with the 21-year-old already accumulating more than 150 senior appearances for the north London club and has emerged as not only one of the best players at the club but also in the Premier League, as evident by his form in the current campaign.

Across 20 league appearances this term, Saka has achieved a mesmerising Sofascore rating of 7.29/10, not only ranking him as the third-best performer in the Gunners’ squad but also as the 12th-best in the league as a whole, proving his class.

With 14 goal contributions (seven goals and seven assists) along with creating three big chances, making 2.4 key passes per match and taking 2.1 shots per game, its no wonder that Arsenal are currently five points clear at the top of the table, and the winger hasn’t even hit his peak yet.

His performances of late has seen the player valued at a staggering €110m (£98.5m) by the CIES Football Observatory, and it certainly appears that Arteta has hit the jackpot on the talented Englishman. Although he would love for the youngster to remain at Arsenal and build a team around the him, there are already potential suitors lining up, with Manchester City recently being linked with a move for Saka.

His career could have been at a crossroads at the beginning of the 2021/22 campaign after he missed a penalty in England’s shoot-out defeat to Italy in the final of Euro 2020.

However, he rebounded superbly and Arteta had nothing but praise for the youngster, saying: “That was a big boost for him, to realise: ‘in difficult moments, these people are really going to give me support’ and the club did the same as his team-mates. Then it is about giving him that space. At his age what he is doing is phenomenal.”

If Arsenal manage to win the league this season and qualify for the Champions League for the first time since 2016/17, that could be a major boost in their hopes of keeping Saka, a player on whom the club hit the jackpot by granting him a first-team passageway and offering him a platform on which to excel.

Arsenal: Jorginho medical due very soon

Arsenal have a medical booked in for Chelsea midfielder Jorginho and the player has even said goodbye to his teammates, according to journalist Simon Phillips.

The Lowdown: Deal agreed

The Gunners have agreed a deal to sign Jorginho for an initial fee of £10m, with an additional £2m in add ons, as confirmed on Twitter by transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.

While Mikel Arteta will be delighted to finally bring in a new central midfielder, Arsenal may not be done there, as there have been reports that they could still look to bring in Moises Caicedo before the close of play.

And while supporters will likely have an anxious wait right up until 11pm to find out Caicedo’s fate, it seems Jorginho’s future is to be decided much sooner.

The Latest: Phillips’ update

In an interview this morning with GIVEMESPORT, Phillips confirmed that a deal could be done very soon, saying: “Jorginho expects to join Arsenal now. I’m told he even said his goodbyes yesterday at Cobham to the rest of the Chelsea players and the staff. Medical due any minute now.”

The Verdict: Shrewd signing

The fact that Arsenal could make two additions in the engine room today is great news, as the Italian would provide them with some additional depth and a proven track record in the Premier League, making 143 appearances in the competition for Chelsea.

An average of 1.63 interceptions per 90 over the past year is indicative of the maestro’s defensive qualities, while he also has something to offer on the front foot, given that he ranks in the 91st percentile for progressive passes compared to his positional peers, with an average of 5.44.

Granit Xhaka ranks in the 80th percentile for progressive passes while Thomas Partey sits in the 84th, so moving the ball forward quickly from those deep midfield positions is clearly vital to Arteta’s system, and it’s an area Jorginho excels in.

Given that he is approaching the twilight of his career at 31, the manager should still try to bring in a younger option like Caicedo, but if it is not possible, then the Brazil-born ace will still be able to hold his own until the end of the season.

Spurs backed as potenital summer option for Zaha

Tottenham Hotspur could be one of the sides that could potentially lure Wilfried Zaha on a free transfer in the summer with his contract at Crystal Palace dwindling down.

What’s the latest?

Zaha is set to become a free agent this summer having spent almost nine years at Selhurst Park since returning to Palace after a spell with Manchester United.

The Ivorian’s current deal with the Eagles is set to run out at the end of the 2022/23 campaign and it does not appear, at least for now, as if the winger will be putting pen to paper on a new deal.

Despite his contract dwindling down to a conclusion, it is believed the 30-year-old is keen to remain at Palace this month and see out his contract before making a decision on where his future lies.

With the winger potentially being made available on a free transfer, journalist Ryan Taylor has spoken on Chris Cowlin’s YouTube channel about a move to north London being a real possibility:

(32:30) “Possible, I’d say. You know, expiring contract, we don’t expect him to sign a new deal with Palace. He could be one that, you know, given there’s no transfer fee involved. Definitely possible. Don’t envisage a move this month, but maybe at the end of the season.”

Paratici masterclass?

Interestingly, it was revealed that the attacker actually asked to join Spurs back in 2016, but a move never materialised.

It is believed Spurs are looking for another forward this month alongside a right wing-back, but we do wonder whether this is a deal which could potentially change that.

It sounds as if Spurs will have a set budget this month to address their two priority positions, however, we wonder whether Zaha’s potential availability in the summer could see Spurs put more of a focus on bringing in a right wing-back this month.

There is concern over the club not being willing to match Sporting CP’s valuation of Pedro Porro this month but with Dejan Kulusevski now spotted back in training, could a new forward be pushed back until the summer?

A potential opportunity like Zaha – hailed a “beast” by Yannick Bolasie – could see Antonio Conte handed a real threat to rival Son Heung-min who is currently struggling to find his best form in a Spurs shirt.

The Ivorian would bring vast Premier League six goals and two assists in the league this season.

Spurs have been struggling with injuries to Kulusevski and Richarlison, but with both hopefully returning in sooner rather than later, this could suddenly become a position Spurs do not find themselves struggling in.

After all, Bryan Gil has shown some promising signs of late and with this in mind, Zaha could suddenly become an attractive option for Spurs to strengthen their depth in the summer.

However, there will naturally be question marks as to whether Zaha would move to a club that he may not necessarily start. But if Tottenham have Champions League football to offer, then this could seem a viable option.

Fabio Paratici has already pulled off a fine free transfer in Ivan Perisic, could Zaha be his next?

Tottenham: Walker-Peters deal could be easy

Tottenham Hotspur wouldn’t have a problem convincing Kyle Walker-Peters to re-join, according to Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Spurs struggles

Tottenham may move to re-sign their former academy graduate Walker-Peters with their terrible defensive form potentially looking to be resurrected in the January window.

Antonio Conte’s side slumped to a 2-0 defeat against Aston Villa in the Premier League on Sunday night, the tenth game in a row they’ve conceded the first goal.

Unlike their previous encounter against Brentford, they were unable to overturn this two-goal deficit and failed to reclaim a top-four place after Manchester United leapfrogged them on Saturday.

The Latest: Walker-Peters touted

One glaring area for improvement at Spurs is the right wing-back role with Djed Spence a completely forgotten man with only four league appearances all season and Emerson Royal and Matt Doherty flattering to deceive.

The Athletic reported that the Southampton right-back would be a realistic signing, with O’Rourke telling GiveMeSport that he’d be ready to return.

“Southampton look like they’re in a real relegation dogfight now, so I think if Spurs did come calling for Kyle Walker-Peters, even though he’s already left the club once, he would find it hard to turn down the opportunity to return to the club.”

The Verdict: Get him in

Walker-Peters left Spurs on an initial loan deal that soon became a £12m permanent move with the Lilywhites bringing Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg the other way.

After being stuck behind both Serge Aurier and Kieran Trippier whilst in North London, the 25-year-old has flourished on the south coast with him by far one of their best players as he was rewarded with his maiden England caps last season.

With the Saints embroiled in a relegation scrap, KWP would prove an interested and smart acquisition back at Spurs with him in the top 3% for dribbles completed amongst full-backs (via FBref), proving his attacking prowess in that role.

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