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Hampshire’s quarter-final hopes look thin after two wins and five defeats

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Jul-2024

Visa issues have prevented Ottneil Baartman, the South African fast bowler, from joining Hampshire for the rest of the T20 Blast.Baartman, who made six appearances at the T20 World Cup during South Africa’s run to the final, was due to play for Hampshire in their final six group games. But his arrival was delayed due to unspecified “visa issues” and the club announced on Friday that, with their quarter-final hopes thin, his deal has been cancelled.”We would like to wish Ottneil all the best and hope to see him in a Hawks shirt in the future,” Hampshire said in a club statement. Baartman initially signed as a replacement for Naveen-ul-Haq, who pulled out of his contract with Hampshire citing “personal reasons” and is instead playing for Texas Super Kings in Major League Cricket.After two wins, three no-results and five defeats, Hampshire sit seventh in the nine-team South Group of the Blast heading into Friday night’s fixture against Gloucestershire at the Ageas Bowl. With the top four teams qualifying for the quarter-finals, they may need to win all four of their remaining fixtures to progress.”We’ll have to do some maths to see if we can still qualify,” Adi Birrell, their coach, said after their most recent defeat to Sussex. “I can’t really think that two wins out of ten gives us a chance of getting through to the quarter-finals but we’ll have to have a look at it.”We had three rained-off games, which has given us a few points, but we’re not really playing well enough to go through… we were a bit off in all departments [against Sussex], as we have been throughout the campaign. We haven’t really put in a good performance in all departments.”

In averting the kind of slip-ups made by Bangladesh, in backing the hitting power of their middle and lower-middle order, Afghanistan prove they know how to win and are ready for a bigger challenge

Sidharth Monga in Dehradun06-Jun-2018Twenty20 is too unpredictable a format to term unexpected results as upsets, but one of the traits of better, more fancied sides is that their cricket is more deliberate when things get tight. On a difficult pitch, during a spell of good bowling from the opposition, they appear more in control, unhurried even if it might seem to those outside that time is running out. The better sides target the weak bowlers in these situations. Those who don’t trust themselves go after the good bowlers. It can come off at times, but it is low-percentage T20 cricket in tight situations.In winning the second T20I against Bangladesh, and with that the series, Afghanistan have left no doubt over who the better, the more fancied team was. They faced two maiden overs from left-arm spinner Nazmul Islam at the start of the innings, went 33 balls without a boundary in the middle, but rarely played shots that they are not comfortable playing. The slightly desperate sixes were straight hits and not slogs across the line. In a similar scenario, having gone 39 balls without a boundary, three of Bangladesh’s left-hand batsmen got out trying to hit Rashid Khan for a six.The situation in both the innings was pretty similar. Rashid came on to bowl in the 11th over, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Mohammad Nabi soon bowled out, and Bangladesh had to know they were going to get three overs of pace towards the end that they could target. Afghanistan also got stuck against the spin of Nazmul, Shakib, Mahmudullah and Mosaddek Hossain, but they also knew Bangladesh couldn’t forever continue bowling spin.Bangladesh didn’t wait for the overs of pace. Imagine a batsman like MS Dhoni in this situation. Bangladesh were 101 for 4, Rashid’s third over was the 16th of the innings, the other two spinners were bowled out, and you have three overs of pace to target. Dhoni is not always the best example on flat pitches, but in this situation, what would he do? He would not even mind as few as eight runs off Rashid’s two overs as long as he doesn’t get a wicket, which in turn leaves them in a position to gather 40 off the other three. That is an effort that takes them to 150, which is what Bangladesh felt was a winning total on this pitch.Instead, Shakib, Rashid’s team-mate at Sunrisers Hyderabad, went to hit six off the first ball, and Tamim Iqbal – who must have felt the pressure of having faced 47 balls for 43 – off the fourth. The next ball, Rashid got Mosaddek with a wrong’un. Soumya Sarkar soon became the fourth batsman to get out trying to hit Rashid out of the ground.There can be two explanations for this approach. Bangladesh didn’t have the luxury of knowing what they were chasing, which must have made them feel they were going under par. Having got the match-ups right – they had stacked left-hand batsmen against Rashid, who went at close to 10 runs an over against left-hand batsmen in the IPL as compared to under a run a ball against the rest – they possibly felt obliged to chase the match-up and attack Rashid.However, Bangladesh need to ask themselves if the third one was true: that they failed to judge the pitch and back themselves against the quicker bowlers. Even if you get historical match-ups right – and they do tell you a lot – you have to sometimes respect the conditions, and this has not been the pitch to be going after the spinners. In this series, the quicks have gone at 9.75 an over and spinners at 5.29. One of the two senior batsmen – Shakib and Tamim – should have taken it upon himself to be there against the returning quicks.In contrast, Afghanistan made sure they had set batsmen when the quicks returned. Shafiqullah later said the captain and the coach had told the batsmen going out that if they had five wickets in hand in the last five overs, they would win. The confidence comes from their faith in the hitting power of the middle and lower-middle order. While a tiring Samiullah Shenwari kept going for his hits, Mohammad Nabi took no risk at all against spin. Bangladesh played it well by continuing with spin till the 18th over but Nabi knew he still had time. Nabi was telling Shakib he is not going anywhere, that he will be there to see the spinner should he still fancy bowling the last over.Shakib eventually gave in and went to Rubel Hossain in the 19th over, and clinically, without fuss, Nabi ended it in the that over itself. This is a team that has come a long way from being the emotional side that coaches wanted to calm down. This is a side that is extremely good at T20 and knows it. They have two of the best spinners going around, they have experience in the batting, they are all naturally strong batsmen who have now honed their techniques to hit sixes efficiently. They know how to win. They are now waiting for bigger prey.

The ‘pack of dogs’ that Faf du Plessis spoke of four years ago was back in full force at Kingsmead, ‘headbutting the line’ in a manner more reminiscent of Zinedine Zidane than Jonny Bairstow

Daniel Brettig in Durban04-Mar-2018Like a family heirloom, the concept of verbal hostility on the field of play is passed from one generation of Australian cricketers to the next. There were times during a hot-tempered and endlessly watchable day four at Kingsmead that recalled angry days in the past, as a young Australian side sought to make its own mark on South Africa.It was four years ago, amid an Australian victory over South Africa in Cape Town, that Faf du Plessis described the team then led by Michael Clarke as “like a pack of dogs” in the way they swarmed around an opposition batsman in the field. During that series and the preceding encounter with England, the Australians reached peaks of hostility that left angry words to be exchanged between Clarke and Dale Steyn at the end of the Newlands Test and the teams to socialise separately that evening.Australia had beaten both England and South Africa playing cricket of a high standard and an unmistakable hostility, the intensity of which renewed debate about the way the team plays in moments of pressure. Within the Australian team, there was total certainty about this being the most effective way to win; outside it, there was no little conjecture about how this method, however effective, looked. But the bottom line was that the results went Australia’s way, further entrenching the team’s view that this was how they won. In the words of Nathan Lyon, the Australians play the game while “headbutting” the line between aggression and transgression.This time around, that level of hostility was revisited as Steven Smith’s team sought to bury a Proteas side chasing 417 for victory, and grew in intensity as the commendably upright Aiden Markram frustrated their efforts to do so. Seemingly it started not with the beginning of the South African innings but the arrival of AB de Villiers, who before facing a ball was immediately talking to the umpires. When he was turned back from a quick single by Markram and run out by David Warner and Lyon, the line was headbutted with a force more Zinedine Zidane than Jonny Bairstow – the “pack of dogs” were back.Lyon, upon breaking the stumps, took particular interest in a prone, diving de Villiers as he ran past him, and dropped the ball so closely in his vicinity that it fell between the batsman’s body and one of his batting gloves. At the same time, Warner was yelling at the top of his lungs in Markram’s direction, manically mouthing words that looked like “why’d you do that” among other things. Australian celebrations about getting de Villiers in such a manner, and having an opportunity to get inside the head of Markram at the same time, were summed up by the wicketkeeper Tim Paine.”Obviously it was a huge wicket. You put a lot of planning into how you’re going to bowl to someone like AB de Villiers, so to have him run out for zero is – I think that gets everyone a little bit excited,” Paine said. “The boys were certainly pumped up to see him going back. We think he’s their best player, to have him back in the sheds for zero was a huge confidence boost for us. But we also know how good the rest of their side is.”We knew there was going to be some fight at some stage, and we certainly got that and we expect that to continue throughout the series. That’s what happens when you’ve got two great sides playing against each other. It was a big moment in the game – probably even bigger now that you look back and see how they played after that. and how the wicket didn’t help us as much as we thought it may have.”We spoke to Aiden about running out their best player and one of the best players in the world. I think had someone run Smithy out in our team you’d cop a fair bit of a ribbing. It was nothing aggressive. It was just reminding him of what he had just done, trying to get him off his game, the same as they do to us. It didn’t work.”The fact that it did not work was to be demonstrated as Markram and Theunis de Bruyn regrouped. The latter became embroiled in some fiery exchanges with Mitchell Starc in between deliveries and boundaries. Sometimes, a fast bowler starting to get involved in a war of words with a batsman denotes nothing so much as frustration and a loss of concentration on the task.But it was telling about the way Australia’s players see the game that from behind the stumps, Paine was happy to hear Starc raise his voice. For the way the Australians play is the way that they have been raised to play, at junior, club and state levels, and having all copped it themselves at various times, they are always eager for opportunities to dish it out where useful.”It was good to see actually. We enjoy it when Starcy is up and about like that and at the batters, because he bowls at high pace and can create chances all the time,” Paine said. “It wasn’t his session during the middle but he showed what he can do when the ball starts to reverse-swing – or hopefully tomorrow when he gets the new ball in his hand. He’s such a dangerous, fast, left-arm bowler that it’s a delight to have him in your team.”

For Markram, the experience was akin to the introduction to cricket the Australian Test team way that another young South African batsman had endured back in 2002 – Graeme Smith

In the final session, Starc’s exchanges stretched from the middle of the ground to the boundary, where he replied to numerous choice remarks by a group of young South African spectators at fine leg. Here, too, was a bit of deja vu, recalling a tamer version of the day Merv Hughes swung his bat at a fence at the Wanderers in Johannesburg after being harangued by a spectator as he jogged up towards the dressing room during a rain delay. This time security arrived to calm fans down before things escalated, but it was another moment speaking to the edge on which the Australians were playing.For Markram, the experience was akin to the introduction to cricket the Australian Test team way that another young South African batsman had endured back in 2002 – Graeme Smith. In a detailed interview with Sports Illustrated, Smith later recounted more or less exactly how he had been targeted by Matthew Hayden, Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Brett Lee, in a departure from the “what happens on the field, stays on the field” mantra commonly stated by the Australians. But he was able to get through it with plenty of credit, not only surviving the reaction to the run-out but thriving in one of the finest innings ever seen at Kingsmead.”That was a massive challenge today, as well,” Markram said. “It’s natural when you play against the Australians that there’s a lot of chatter on the field. Something that I certainly don’t mind, something that keeps me in the game and keeps me going, keeps me motivated. And it never really gets out of line either, not a lot of swearing or things like that happen. There are a few here and there but it’s not the end of the world.”I believe it’s part of the game. It’s how the game should be played, nice and hard, and makes success that bit more rewarding. I think just having what happened [with the run out] did affect me a little bit and you hear every word out on the field but I don’t speak back on the field, I try to just get on with what I do and it’s always going to be there, it’s part of the Australian side to keep chatting to batters but it’s something I really do enjoy, it’ll keep coming for the rest of the series, but I enjoy it.”Discussion about whether the Australian side needs to play in this way will carry on long after this match concludes, but it was perhaps telling that the moment the day tilted definitively towards Smith’s side had less to do with intimidation than it did with physical durability, alertness of mind and fierce concentration. Mitchell Marsh, sore after a fall in the field, was brought on to bowl as Markram and Quinton de Kock pulled ever closer to the target. Paine came up to the stumps, and found rapid reward when a Markram edge slapped neatly into his gloves.It was a reminder that for all the bluster, the other tradition carried from generation to generation of Australian players is the pursuit of excellence. How much that excellence has to do with “aggression”, “hostility”, “sledging”, “mental disintegration” or any other of those buzz words is a question that will continue to be asked – especially when Australia perform as well as they have in Durban.

Aston Villa kept their Champions League ambitions intact with an impressive 4-1 victory over Newcastle United on Saturday evening in the Premier League.

The two clubs are both vying for a top-five finish and with it a spot in Europe’s top table next term. Unai Emery’s side defeated PSG in midweek, but this performance will also bolster their confidence ahead of the final few games of the campaign.

Ollie Watkins opened the scoring in the first minute before Fabian Schar equalised for Newcastle.

The second half was all Villa, however, as Ian Maatsen, an own goal by Dan Burn and an effort from Amadou Onana sealed all three points.

The majority of the starting XI performed wonderfully well, but it was Watkins and Morgan Rogers who powered the club to yet another league win.

How Watkins and Rogers performed against Newcastle

Watkins set Villa on their way to all three points after slotting home a deflected opener against the Magpies.

The Englishman also grabbed an assist, registered five total shots and made two key passes before he was subbed off in the 82nd minute.

He is returning to the form of last season and Rogers is someone who is helping him flourish. The attacking midfielder has enjoyed a fine season, having scored 14 goals and recorded 12 assists in all competitions.

Accurate passes

Youri Tielemans (71)

Key passes

Marco Asensio (5)

Ground duels won

Youri Tielemans (8)

Tackles

Ian Maatsen (6)

Shots on target

Morgan Rogers (3)

Against the Toon, Rogers grabbed another assist, completed 90% of his passes, made two key passes and succeeded with all three of his dribble attempts.

When the pair are playing at this high standard, nothing can stop Villa, that’s for sure. There is one player in the squad who has been the fulcrum which makes everything tick – Youri Tielemans.

The 9/10 star who's becoming Aston Villa’s best player

The Belgian international has been the standout performer for the club this season, showcasing his talents at the highest level.

Five goal contributions in 12 Champions League games proves that the midfielder has been sublime in the competition. Add in another eight goal involvements in the Premier League and Emery has a player who could be in high demand this summer.

Content creator Mark Goldbridge described Tielemans as “Villa’s player of the season this year” following his display on Saturday evening, and it is easy to see why.

Operating in a deep-lying midfield role, the former Leicester City star completed 88% of his passes, took 98 touches, won 11 of his 16 total duels contested and even made three key passes throughout the match – including the assist for Watkins’ opener.

Alongside Boubacar Kamara, Tielemans dominated proceedings and his performance was key in Rogers and Watkins delivering in the final third yet again. Indeed, journalist John Townley awarded the 27-year-old a match rating of 9/10 for his stunning display.

Emery has started the midfielder in every single Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League match this season, highlighting his importance to the club.

Should Villa qualify for Europe’s premier club competition next season while also winning the FA Cup, they will have Tielemans to thank.

Aston Villa in talks to sign "talented ball carrier" likened to Grealish

Villa aren’t the only side interested, though.

ByCharlie Smith Apr 19, 2025

Darren Stevens is fulfilling a role he might never have envisaged – that of a specialist first-over bowler in Twenty20 – but the tactic has never entirely caught on

Tim Wigmore08-Aug-2017It is Cricket 101: the first over should be bowled by whoever has the most chance of getting a wicket in it. But Twenty20 inverts the sport’s conventions at every turn. And so, rather than starting the innings with a leading bowler, some teams are instead entrusting the opening over to a bowler regarded as the sixth or seventh best in the side, often an offspinner or medium-pacer.In this season’s NatWest T20 Blast, Darren Stevens has opened the bowling five times. His wobbly medium-pace in these overs has conceded, respectively: 6, 6, 6, 4 and 7 – a total of only 29 from 30 balls.And yet, however impressive these figures, on the past four occasions Stevens has not been asked to deliver another over after his frugal first. He has become a curious breed: a specialist opening bowler, excellent in the first over and yet not deemed deserving of overs thereafter.”It’s easier to bowl in the first over as the batsmen are more likely to have a look before they get set and play their shots,” Stevens says. “I am aiming for the top of off stump, trying to get wickets. I want a slip in place because I know I can swing and seam the new ball. I try and hit the seam, going in or away from the batsman which is easier when the ball’s harder and there’s a more pronounced seam.”In the nets Stevens practises specifically with a new white ball to hone his role. While he is bowling at a time of the innings ideally suited to his skills, his captain, Sam Northeast, is getting through the opening over on the cheap with a bowler not normally among his leading five.”That first over is a bit of a sighter almost,” Northeast says. “Stevo’s not someone who a batsman can use pace against to get off to a flyer. You’re going to have to hit Stevo if you want to get boundaries. That’s always a bit of a challenge when two batters are on nought to take a risk.”Even in the new batting age, relatively few are willing to take that risk – or at least seem to struggle to do so successfully – against Stevens or anyone else. Since 2012, the first over of the innings goes for an average of 5.92 across T20 cricket: comfortably the cheapest in the entire innings, even with the benefit of the fielding restrictions.

Kent are fortunate that they can employ as a spare bowler someone who stands top of their Championship averages

Using a bowler like Stevens in the opening over has another advantage. It is the one time in an innings when a bowling side can pre-plan to exploit a particular match-up, knowing that a certain batsman will be in and new to the crease, and they can bowl a type of bowler that he struggles against. “It’s about ‘this is probably the best match-up for this situation and at the same time we’re pinching an over’,” says Tom Moody, director of cricket for the Caribbean Premier League.Stevens concedes runs in the opening over in line with the overall average. But his opening overs are still a significant boon for Northeast, because of the possibilities they open up later in the innings. When he bowls the opening over it means that Kent do not have to bowl all their main five bowlers out, and have flexibility in case one is struggling.Using Stevens to open also saves quick bowlers to bowl at the end of the Powerplay, when batsmen are set and still have the benefits of the fielding restrictions.”Those are the times when the batters are in and they’re trying to get after you,” Northeast says. “Very rarely after that first over do they keep on having sighters.”Since 2012, the fifth and sixth overs of the innings go for 7.93 and 7.96 runs an overs: the highest of the entire innings until the last five, and so they are a time when frontline bowlers are particularly essential.Stevens this summer has shown the peculiar tactic at its best – but it does not always work out so well. Most obviously, there is the chance that the bowler, especially one not as wily as Stevens, could be smashed. Kent are fortunate that they can employ as a spare bowler someone who stands top of their Championship averages with 39 wickets at 18.51 and who has taken 398 first-class wickets in 21 years as a professional.But even if the extra bowler avoids punishment, using this device for the first over still involves a fundamental trade-off: more options for the fielding side later in the innings, at the expense of less likelihood of taking a wicket at the start. Indeed, even Stevens has yet to take a wicket in an opening over this summer.Tom Cooper has had success up front in the Big Bash•Getty ImagesDoes the tactic work? A few seasons ago, several counties slipped in an over of spin at the top of the innings. But it is still surprisingly rare – a non-frontline bowler only bowls the first over around 5% of the time, as per analysis from Joe Harris, of White Ball Analytics. His research shows that the average opening over delivered by a specialist bowler goes for 5.91 runs, and picks up 0.20 wickets.When bowled by a part-timer (identified as one who bowls an average of two overs an innings or fewer), the first over concedes 7.42, for the loss of only 0.13 wickets. Most non-specialists are far less effective than Stevens in bowling those introductory balls.The question is whether this reduced effectiveness in the opening over is worth it to enable increased flexibility. The answer will depend not just on the skill of the sixth bowler, but also upon the opening batsmen. A pair who begin relatively slowly are ideal to bowl a sixth bowler to; those who are particularly adept at attacking from the opening ball are more problematic. Tom Cooper’s part-time offspin was outstanding opening in the last Big Bash League – until he encountered Brendon McCullum, and the first over went for 14.Although the opening over of the innings remains the least expensive in T20, teams are becoming more aware of the need to target it. The run rate in the first over so far this year is 6.51 across all T20 cricket, compared to 5.96 last year. So for non-specialists, even bowling the first over is becoming no barrier to being attacked, especially as pinch-hitters – like Sunil Narine in the IPL, and Lewis Gregory and John Hastings in this year’s Blast – are enjoying a revival in T20.

As in all aspects of T20, perhaps the best answer is flexibility

As well as the opposition batsmen, bowling teams must consider whether opening with a non-specialist would dilute one of their greatest strengths, by denying a strike bowler the chance to bowl to a pair of batsmen who haven’t faced a ball.As Moody says: “Regardless either of the idea of trying to pinch an over, or a recognition that it’s a particularly good match-up, there are certain bowlers – Mitchell Starc or whoever – who are of a greater influence. They’re the most likely bowlers to be taking a wicket early and that’s your greatest value – wickets in the Powerplay.”As in all aspects of T20, perhaps the best answer is flexibility. If a non-frontline opening bowler is used in every game, batting teams can respond accordingly. But if used occasionally, with an ideal bowler in ideal conditions, it can prove extremely handy.Moody notes the attractiveness of bowling an offspinner to Chris Gayle in the opening over; England did something similar when they deployed Joe Root, who used to open regularly for Yorkshire in the T20 Blast, to Gayle in the World T20 final last year. It was actually the second over, but Gayle had yet to face a ball: Root’s first to him conceded a boundary, but his second was heaved into long-off’s hands. And consider the record of Angelo Mathews, a bowler similar in style to Stevens. Opening in T20 cricket, he has taken 11 wickets at 11.72 in the opening over, at a startling economy rate of just 4.6.There is no right answer about whether a team should bowl one of their weaker bowlers at the start of an innings. Like all T20 strategy, the decision is determined by a mixture of meticulous forward planning and instant in-game judgement. But any young T20 batsman who can bowl useful medium pace or spin would be well-advised to learn from Stevens: mastering the art of bowling the first over would boost their worth in the Blast and leagues around the world.

MatériaMais Notícias

da brdice： Em meio às dificuldades de se comprar pela internet os ingressos, a torcida do São Paulo se animou durante o sábado (11) e promoveu, por meio das redes sociais, o sonho de quebrar o recorde de público do Allianz Parque, arena do rival Palmeiras, no jogo das quartas de final do Campeonato Paulista contra o Água Santa, às 20h (de Brasília) de segunda-feira (13).

Mas há um empecilho para que o sonho de cravar seu nome na história do estádio do arquirrival se torne realidade: a carga de ingressos. Diferentes de jogos do próprio Verdão, pouco mais de 41 mil bilhetes foram disponibilizados aos tricolores. Em partidas dos donos da casa, esse número beira os 42 mil.

da betcris：
+ Ângelo responde proposta do Flamengo, Real Madrid volta a mirar Mbappé… O Dia do Mercado!

Na internet, muita reclamação por parte dos são-paulinos. E algumas teorias da conspiração de que foi algo planejado pelo Palmeiras. Mas, ao LANCE!, fontes da Polícia Militar apontam que é de praxe uma carga menor do que a capacidade total da arena, de 43,7 mil pessoas, por conta da divisa de torcida visitante.

Não à toa, os recordes de público do time alviverde em sua casa são justamente nos clássicos, disputados com torcida única. O maior número de pessoas no Allianz Parque, por exemplo, foi registrado na eliminação do Verdão para o próprio São Paulo nas oitavas de final da Copa do Brasil do ano passado: 41.361 presentes, com uma carga um pouco superior a 42 mil disponibilizada à venda.

O São Paulo não divulgou, por todo o último sábado, nenhuma parcial de ingressos vendidos por meio de suas redes sociais oficiais. Apenas pediu desculpas aos torcedores pelas dificuldades encontradas por eles na compra dos ingressos, reconhecendo os problemas causados pelo acúmulo de acessos. Apesar dos pesares, a tendência é que os bilhetes esgotem já neste domingo (12).

Their Premier League position might suggest otherwise, but Tottenham Hotspur are blessed with a number of incredibly talented players.

From the likes of Djed Spence, Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero at the back to Dominic Solanke and Son Heung-min in attack, there is talent throughout the Lilywhites’ squad.

That is especially true in the middle of the park, as Lucas Bergvall, James Maddison and Pape Matar Sarr all possess game-changing qualities.

Yet, perhaps the club’s best player is none other than Dejan Kulusevski, and in an exciting development, it appears as if Hotspur Way could be about to provide Ange Postecoglou with a homegrown version of the Swede.

What makes Kulusevski so great?

So, when it comes down to what makes Kulusevski such an incredible player, there are a couple of core reasons, with the first being his positional versatility.

The former Juventus star was initially signed as a winger back in 2022 and has played off the right more than anywhere else for the North Londoners, but, especially this year, he’s thrived in several other positions, notably midfield.

In all, the Stockholm-born star has played 70 games as a right-winger for the Lilywhites, 40 games in attacking midfield, five in central midfield and up top, two off the left and in right-midfield, and he’s even made one appearance as a second striker.

Right Winger

70

11

15

Attacking Midfield

40

9

7

Centre-Forward

5

2

2

Central Midfield

5

1

3

Left Winger

2

0

0

Right Midfield

2

0

0

Second Striker

1

0

1

All Stats via Transfermarkt

The second reason the 25-year-old is such an incredible player for Postecoglou and Co is that, on top of being able to fill in all over the pitch, he’s got the ability to produce as well.

For example, in 42 appearances this season, the “world-class” ace, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has scored ten goals and provided ten assists, making him the second-most productive player in the squad, behind only his captain.

In short, Kulusevski is not just one of Spurs’ best players but one of the league’s best players, so it’s good news that Hotspur Way might be brewing their version of the Swede.

Spurs' homegrown Kulusevski

While the most-talked-about academy product at Spurs this season has been the incredible Mikey Moore, it could be the lesser-known Luca Williams-Barnett next season.

It’s the 16-year-old phenom who could well be the club’s own Kulusevski, and there are a few reasons why.

The first is that like the Swedish international, the promising teenager can play in a handful of positions, from attacking midfield to either wing, up top and even left-midfield, lending credence to academy expert and pundit John Wenham’s description of him as a “cheat-code.”

Appearances

24

Minutes

1887′

Goals

20

Assists

10

Goal Involvements per Match

1.25

Minutes per Goal Involvement

62.9′

However, the second and undoubtedly more important similarity to the former Juve star is that he’s already proving to be an incredibly effective attacking outlet for the youth sides.

For example, in just 24 appearances for the U18s, totalling 1887 minutes, the unreal talent, whom analyst Ben Mattinson described as “a name to keep an eye on,” has scored 20 goals and provided ten assists.

That means he’s averaging 1.25 goal involvements every game, or one every 62.9 minutes, which is the sort of form that could see him propelled into the first team next season.

Ultimately, while this season has been a disaster, Spurs have several incredibly talented players in their senior squad, and if Williams-Barnett continues on his brilliant trajectory, then there is every chance he could be playing alongside Kulusevski next year.

His value has risen 1475% this season: Spurs struck gold on their own Yamal

The exceptional Spurs ace will be worth a fortune in the future.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Mar 20, 2025

Is there anything more unstoppable than Rangers after the Europa League anthem has been blared out on a Thursday night?

Despite their continued turbulent domestic form, the Ibrox side are now on the cusp of the quarter-finals on the continent, following a 3-1 victory over Fenerbahçe at Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium.

When winning the first leg away from home, the Gers have won all 21 two-legged European ties they’ve ever played, so supporters will surely fancy their chances of getting through, thereby setting up a last eight clash with Athletic Club or Roma.

While Jack Butland made a few smart stops, Mohamed Diomande was stupendous and fellow-midfielder Nicolas Raskin’s performance was described as “unbelievable” by Rangers legend Ally McCoist, during TNT Sports’ commentary, it’s the Light Blues’ attackers who deserve to be spotlighted.

Václav Černý the star against Mourinho

Václav Černý was certainly the star of Thursday night’s victory in İstanbul, scoring twice.

The Czechia international restored Rangers’ advantage on the cusp of half time, slotting past İrfan Can Eğribayat after some neat link-up play with Cyriel Dessers, before also scoring the crucial third nine minutes from the end, having been perfectly played in by Raskin on the counter-attack.

Černý’s performances for Rangers have been described as “outstanding” while, as former Rangers striker Kris Boyd put it on Sky Sports: “where would Rangers be if it wasn’t for him”?

Having previously netted against Steaua București twice, Nice and Royale Union Saint-Gilloise, Černý has now scored six goals in UEFA competition this season, so let’s see how that compares to Rangers players of the past.

Václav Černý

2024/25

6

James Tavernier

2021/22

7

Alfredo Morelos

2021/22

6

James Tavernier

2020/21

5

Alfredo Morelos

2020/21

5

Alfredo Morelos

2019/20

14

On top of this, Černý’s tally of eight goals and assists combined in this season’s Europa League is second only to Rayan Cherki of Lyon.

Along similar lines, the Gers’ total of 11 goals on the road is the second-most in the competition, behind Olympique Lyonnais, four of which came at Ibrox in October.

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However, another Rangers attacker deserves some rare praise too.

Rangers star enjoys his best night for the club

Scottish Football analyst John Walker believes Thursday’s victory featured Cyriel Dessers’ “best match for Rangers”, adding that he put in a man of the match performance up front.

The Nigerian striker – who earned a 9/10 rating from the Scotsman – broke the deadlock inside six minutes, rounding the goalkeeper before his shot, just about, crept over the line.

That was despite the best efforts of Çağlar Söyüncü, as referee Alejandro Hernández Hernández’s watch flashed up that it was a goal, much to the delight of those who’d travelled from Glasgow.

Dessers then also set up the Gers’ second, with an inch-perfect reverse pass to tee-up Černý, before having not one but two goals disallowed in the second half for very marginal offsides; if he was a size five, he’d have had a hat-trick.

As Jonathan Wilson of the Guardian puts it, Dessers ‘divides fans’, but Gavin Berry and Andy MacKay of the Daily Record described the striker’s performance as ‘superb’, with the Nigerian having taken his tally to 22 goals for the season, four of which have come under Barry Ferguson.

If that praise wasn’t enough, then we’ll hand over to Mr Mourinho, who said that the enigmatic striker “looked like the best player in the world” on Thursday evening.

Many were surprised that Dessers got the nod over Hamza Igamane in attack, but Ferguson was certainly vindicated in his decision, with Mark Atkinson of the Scotsman stating that the win was a tactical ‘triumph’ for the coach.

Speaking of the interim Rangers boss, this was his first involvement in a European match since leading his club out in Manchester for the UEFA Cup Final of 2008 against Zenit Saint Petersburg, the occasion of his 400th appearance for the club, and what a victory for him, with Černý and Dessers spearheading the Light Blues to victory on the Asian side of the Bosporus Strait.

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As Celtic go in pursuit of adding insult to injury against a Rangers side they have blown away in the Scottish Premiership this season, one key man is set to return from injury.

Celtic team news confirmed for Old Firm derby

Currently sat as many as 16 points clear of the Gers in Scotland’s top flight, Celtic are set to be crowned champions once again to make it two from two for Brendan Rodgers in his second stint in charge of the Bhoys. With the Old Firm clash up next too, they have the chance to turn 16 into 19 and deal their rivals another frustrating blow.

Entering the derby off the back of eliminating Fenerbahce from the Europa League and reaching the last eight, Rangers will have a point to prove up against Celtic, however, who will still need to be at their best.

With that said, one particular piece of injury news has certainly arrived at the perfect time in pursuit of victory. As confirmed by Brendan Rodgers, James Forrest is now set to return from injury against Rangers this Sunday.

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Rodgers told reporters when asked about team news: “How’s the squad? Yeah, all good. We’ve had a good week, so one more day to go. One or two we are just assessing. Callum (McGregor), obviously he’s had a similar week to last week, and we’ll make a decision on him tomorrow.

“Obviously, James Forrest is back in the squad, which is really good. Paulo Bernardo is still a little bit away. Liam Scales, he’s obviously had an issue with his cheekbones, so we’re just waiting to finalise whether he needs an operation or not. So he will be doubtful for the game, but apart from that, it’s the same squad.”

"Brilliant" Forrest returning at perfect time

One of the most experienced players that Rodgers has to pick from and a modern-day Celtic legend with 12 Scottish Premiership titles to his name, Forrest’s return comes at the perfect time. The 33-year-old will be relieved to be back in time to face Rangers too, having scored six Old Firm derby goals during his time at Celtic Park.

Rodgers needs no reminder of the winger’s quality, either, having been full of praise when asked about Forrest last season – telling reporters: “He’s been a brilliant servant of the club.

“And of course, it’s probably been difficult for him the last couple of years, not playing maybe as much as he wants. But I’ve always said in terms of quality and wing-play, he’s our best winger.”

Almost into the final year of his contract, Forrest looks destined to add at least one more title to his name before perhaps retaining that crown in his final campaign at Celtic next season.