MatériaMais Notícias

da bet vitoria： O zagueiro Marquinhos valorizou a maneira como a Seleção Brasileira conseguiu a goleada por 4 a 0 sobre o Paraguai nesta terça-feira (1), no Mineirão, pelas Eliminatórias da Copa do Mundo. Em entrevista na zona mista virtual, o defensor destacou a forma como pôde contribuir para o triunfo, ao fazer as jogadas que culminaram nos gols de Raphinha e de Coutinho.

RelacionadasSeleção BrasileiraVini Jr. e Coutinho em alta e ‘clássico dividido’: as reações do torcedor no Mineirão no jogo da SeleçãoSeleção Brasileira01/02/2022Seleção BrasileiraPhilippe Coutinho celebra boa atuação e gol marcado pela Seleção Brasileira: ‘Representa muito’Seleção Brasileira01/02/2022Seleção BrasileiraATUAÇÕES: Marquinhos, Philippe Coutinho e Raphinha se destacam e levam as maiores notas do BrasilSeleção Brasileira01/02/2022

da premier bet： -É raro, é difícil, a gente quer ajudar sempre defensivamente, mas quando a gente tem espaço e ocorrem as situações, tem que ajudar lá na frente. Hoje, graças a Deus, dei dois passes – e frisou:

– A gente sabe o quanto é decisivo, num jogo que pode se complicar, às vezes um passe longo acaba no um contra um e a gente acaba abrindo o placar que acaba facilitando o jogo – completou.

O camisa 4 ainda detalhou o que proporciona os defensores a contribuírem ofensivamente com o Brasil.

-Com os meias mais avançados, a gente tenta quebrar as linhas. Se todo mundo vier buscar a bola no pé, é difícil da gente chegar no gol. Os meias estando altos, volante estando entrelinhas, é algo que a gente tenta saltar linhas e ter número lá na frente. A gente tem qualidade, o professor fala, os zagueiros têm qualidade para fazer a bola chegar lá. Nossos laterais também têm extrema qualidade. Os meias têm que se sentir à vontade lá na frente, e a gente tem que achar esse espaço senão eles vão começar a vir, buscar e, cada vez mais, trazer nossa linha para baixo – declarou.

Marquinhos ainda descrevou como foi a jogada que culminou no gol de Raphinha.

-A gente precisa muito da movimentação dos atacantes. Quando recebo a bola, tento ter a visão periférica para ver o que está acontecendo na minha frente. Primeiro olho o que está acontecendo na minha frente, na primeira linha, depois amplio um pouco mais a minha visão. Foi quando vi o Raphinha fazendo movimentação, vi que o zagueiro estava fazendo movimentação ao contrário. Vi que ele não estava impedido, que fez o movimento pela frente do zagueiro, tinha meu corpo mais virado para cá, virei o pé e consegui acertar um bom passe para ele fazer o gol – disse.

A Seleção volta a campo em 29 de março, para o confronto com o Chile. O Brasil já está classificado para o Mundial do Qatar.

For the first time in the series, India’s fast bowlers bowled poorer lengths than England’s. But they regrouped quickly to script a turnaround

Sidharth Monga01-Aug-2025

Prasidh Krishna returned his best figures in Test cricket•Getty Images

“Have you ever felt nothing good was ever gonna happen to you?”At lunch on day two at The Oval, some of the younger players in the India team would have felt the way Chris Moltisanti did when he uttered this immortal line in . Chris is easily frustrated by circumstances, impatient to move up in the North Jersey mafia hierarchy, and even tries his hand at writing a movie script.This Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy has been an incredible learning curve for this young India team, a tour where they have had reason to believe that they haven’t been rewarded proportionately for their efforts. The situation at lunch on day two was India 2-1 behind in the series, 224 plays 109 for 1 in 16 overs, and yet another selection looking to blow in their face with just three fast bowlers in the side.Related

• 'That was the plan' – Prasidh on verbal duel with Root

• Siraj, Jaiswal and Prasidh put India in front on 15-wicket day

• Stats – The breathtaking Crawley-Duckett opening salvo

For the first time in the series, India’s fast bowlers had bowled poorer lengths than England’s, hit off the good areas by the sensational and skilful opening pair of Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley. One more session of it, and the series would have been gone. India badly needed a Paulie “Walnuts” Gualtieri to say, as he did in response to the aforementioned question: “Yeah. So what?”Paulie is one of the most ruthless and trusted henchmen of the mob boss Tony Soprano. He is as psychopathic as the other wise guys but he is not given to feeling pity for himself. He is one of the more stoic wise guys. At The Oval, it had to be one or all of the India fast bowlers to step up and say “so what”. We will get up again and do the work. We will do the right things again. So what if the results haven’t gone our way?Mohammed Siraj is a good fit as Paulie. Never to be Tony Soprano, not even of the fast-bowling group, but happy to do the hard work and step up when needed. Sometimes Siraj even reckons he is proud of being given the responsibility and does better when he is, but he knows he is not quite his “Jassi “. He didn’t start off well, bowling ordinary lines with the new ball, conceding 31 in his first four overs, which is why he had to watch Akash Deep and Prasidh Krishna start off this crucial session.3:42

‘A workhorse, a man to have in the team’

Akash Deep had not had a great start himself. He had troubled Duckett, was all over him, hit him in the box, and nearly had him three times in his second over, but a reverse-pull for a six from Duckett completely rattled him. The next time Duckett charged at him, Akash Deep lost his length completely and was dismissively cut away. Duckett was almost telling him – twice in one over – that he was not quick enough. That he could leave the crease early and still have time to cut him if he changed the length.This was Bazball at its best, and India were on the back foot. The height difference between Crawley and Duckett meant India were getting cut and driven from the same lengths, which weren’t necessarily big errors. Prasidh looked the best of the three, but never forget that he was coming off the ignominy of having to sit out at Old Trafford for a bowler straight off the flight.It was this beleaguered trio that needed to say “so what” and get on with it. A session of 6 for 106 was as emphatic a “so what” as any. Being the wise guys, they needed to wise up a little first, which they did among themselves. Take your pick on who Silvio and Bobby – two of Soprano’s other lieutenants – are but this was a chat they needed to have to lift each other up. Prasidh said the three got into a corner and decided what had happened had happened. He said they needed to reassure each other, help each other when they veered off lines and lengths, and also “show some body language”.Mohammed Siraj celebrates after dismissing Ollie Pope•Getty ImagesThey knew they had – as a human reaction – started to bowl hard lengths as if in the middle overs of an ODI, but that was not going to help them. Immediately, they started bowling better lengths for this pitch: one with appreciable seam movement available. India have generally stayed on 6-8m for most of the series, but here they started hitting 5-6m more often: 13.4% of the times as opposed to 7.2% in the first session. So even when they pulled it back in reaction to aggression, they were still on the good length.As a result, they not only kept the edges and the stumps in play – thanks to the seam movement – but also gave the ball a chance to swing. Even though high-seam deliveries went down, their average swing went up, which created the combination India needed. Results were not instant, Crawley resumed just as merrily, but even though he didn’t start bowling, Siraj at mid-on was always reassuring his bowlers they were on the right track.Prasidh said it was challenging to keep bowling good balls when the batters played as well as Duckett and Crawley did, but they needed reassurance from each other that if they bowled well, “it was a matter of time”.1:45

Prasidh: I’ve been picked to do a job

Time, though, was not on their side. There were just three of them on a pitch that needed fast bowling the most. Bringing spin on would ease all the pressure. This is where Akash Deep, who took just one wicket, played a big role. He started the session with a five-over spell, had time off for just three overs, and then pitched in with a six-over spell from the other end. All the while clutching his shoulder and stretching it because of a niggle. These were not just any spells; they were 5-0-16-0 and 6-0-18-0 with plenty of questions asked.At the other end, the only fast bowler left standing after playing all Tests, Siraj pulled in a shift: 8-0-35-3. He pulled out the lethal combination of outswing and wobble-seam. He dragged Joe Root across with outswing before bowling the lbw ball with the wobble seam. As a true disciple of Jasprit Bumrah, in his first 12 overs, Siraj bowled only one ball fuller than 5m: the near-yorker to get Jacob Bethell out.It was then time for Prasidh to take over from Akash Deep and show off his wobble-seam ball. He has been bowling it for a while now, increasing the frequency of it as his trust in it had grown, but he also perhaps produced his first wicket with the way the wobble-seam ball is intended: to nip back in and trap the batter in front, Jamie Overton in this case.Good things now started to happen to the wise guys. The rain break came at just the right time to allow them to stay fresh and limit the damage Harry Brook could cause in the company of the tail. If you are just watching from the outside and thought the series was over at lunch, you are probably reacting like Silvio, a nod to if ever there was one: “Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.”

da aposte e ganhe： Sunderland have finally confirmed another new signing this summer, as Republic of Ireland international Alan Browne joins up with Regis Le Bris' group ahead of the forthcoming Championship campaign.

da dobrowin： The 29-year-old has bags of experience at the level, having been a loyal servant to former employers Preston North End for a staggering decade, with a fresh new challenge now coming his way.

This could be an ingenious free agent swoop, as Sunderland were crying out for more seasoned heads last season when the wheels started to come off, with another second-tier veteran reportedly following Browne in through the door.

Sunderland hold talks with EFL star

According to a report by the Northern Echo earlier this week, alongside previously being in talks with their new Irish recruit before he officially signed on the dotted line, Sunderland have also held conversations with former Sheffield United man Oliver Norwood over a summer switch to the Stadium of Light.

It's stated in the article that the Le Bris was keen on adding calm and experienced heads to the dressing room this transfer window, with Norwood able to offer that in spades, alongside the ex-Preston midfielder.

It has been reported that Sunderland's interest might have cooled down on Norwood after the capture of Browne however – according to football journalist Michael Graham – but the new French boss wouldn't turn his nose up at the prospect of having two second-tier experts at his disposal if possible.

When still on the books at Bramall Lane, Norwood would oversee two promotions up to the Premier League, with a mind-boggling four on his career resume overall.

With the Northern Irishman's knowledge of the division evident, signing the 33-year-old could prove to be another cheap masterstroke on the end of the Black Cats, as the pair could strike up a fantastic partnership to steer a youthful Sunderland side back to the top positions in the league.

What Norwood and Browne can offer Sunderland

As can be seen with this stylish finish from Norwood back in 2018, the ageing midfielder can offer lots all over the pitch for his new employers if signed, whether that be racing forward to join in with attacks or helping out with defensive duties.

Amassing a ridiculous 381 Championship appearances to date, with 25 goals and 48 assists managed along the way, it's almost a certainty that the former Blades man will be a reliable and dependable figure that Le Bris can rely upon in moments of deep crisis or tension.

Norwood + Browne – Championship career numbers

Player

Games played

Goals scored

Assists

Norwood

381

25

48

Browne

346

39

22

Sourced by Transfermarkt

Browne has accumulated similarly impressive numbers across his career, as can be seen looking at the table above, with all of those coming donning a Preston jersey.

The 29-year-old will quickly need to grow accustomed to his new surroundings, therefore, with Le Bris no doubt a fan of Browne's adaptability across the midfield spots too, as the Republic of Ireland international can play in an attacking midfield role or as a defensive option when needed.

It was from the attacking midfield spot last season where the ex-Preston number eight wreaked most of his havoc though, helping himself to four goals and four assists from league action.

Browne could act as an experienced head for Bellingham to lean off of subsequently, with Norwood – who has been dubbed the "finished article" in the division by former Blade, Carl Asaba – also pushing the likes of Dan Neil and Pierre Ekwah as a utility figure in a more holding role.

Sunderland fans will be encouraged by the players that look to be joining the building ahead of next season, praying that everything clicks into place and Le Bris can push the Black Cats back into the promotion reckoning.

Related Sunderland have a perfect Bellingham rival emerging in the academy

Regis Le Bris could call upon this Sunderland youngster to compete with Jobe Bellingham next season.

Posts ByKelan Sarson Jul 10, 2024

Lee’s team-mate Ayabonga Khaka also gained a spot to move to No. 7 among the bowlers

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Sep-2021

A stellar run of recent form has pushed South Africa batter Lizelle Lee to the top of the ODI batting rankings for the second time this year. With 762 ranking points, Lee is jointly atop the women’s batting rankings along with India captain Mithali Raj.Lee currently has two fifty-plus scores on South Africa’s ongoing tour of the West Indies, including an unbeaten 91 in the first ODI. Before her move atop twice this year, she had first topped the women’s ODI rankings in June 2018.Meanwhile, Lee’s team-mate and medium pacer Ayabonga Khaka gained a spot among the bowlers to move to No. 7 after grabbing four wickets in the first two ODIs against West Indies, which came at miserly economy rate of only two runs an over. Equally impressive was allrounder Dane van Niekerk, whose four wickets in the first two games came at an economy of 1.85, thus pushing her up a spot to No. 7 among ODI allrounders.Also, in the T20I rankings, England legspinner Sarah Glenn moved over to the second spot among bowlers after four wickets in the recently-concluded home series against New Zealand, while the visitors’ offspinner Leigh Kasperek climbed up seven places to sit at No. 15 after bagging six wickets on the tour, where she was the leading wicket-taker in her side’s 1-2 defeat.And runs in the ongoing ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Africa Qualifiers saw Zimbabwe’s Modester Mupachikwa moved up to No. 20 among batters after scoring 133 runs in four innings, with her captain Mary-Anne Musonda gaining 14 places to be rise up to No. 52.

The opener struck 11 sixes in a memorable display on a poor night for Knight Riders

Andrew McGlashan12-Sep-2021St Kitts and Nevis Patriots surged into the CPL semi-finals with a commanding run chase over Trinbago Knight Riders on the back of Evin Lewis’ thrilling 51-ball century.Lewis, who was dropped on 29 in what was a poor bowling and fielding display from Knight Riders, plundered 11 sixes in a fantastic innings – the last of which over fine leg took him to three figures in what became the final over the match. It was his fifth T20 hundred and first since January 2019.The result left Knight Riders second in the table, one of three teams on 10 points, heading into the final round of matches on Sunday and any of those teams could be in danger from Jamaica Tallawahs on eight points.Offspinner Jon-Russ Jaggesar had struck crucial blows during Knight Riders’ innings including two in two balls to remove Colin Munro and Kieron Pollard just when they were looking to cut loose. Sunil Narine boosted the total with four sixes in his 18-ball 33, but the chase was soon put into context.Chris Gayle, opening for the first time in the competition after Devon Thomas took a blow to his knee in the field, was dropped at deep point by Darren Bravo in the third over and by the time he edged behind to the final ball of the Powerplay Patriots had 67 on the board with the sixth over from Ali Khan costing 22.Only Narine gave Knight Riders any element of control with the ball and Patriots knew they were so far ahead of the game they could play him out. Pollard brought himself on and should have had Lewis first ball but Akeal Hosein spilled the chance and though he then removed Thomas the over went for 20.That was followed by Hosein’s night not getting any better when he was taken for 18 in the next and the required rate was well under a run-a-ball before the midway mark of the chase, leaving Lewis to add the memorable finishing touches.Knight Riders had made a sluggish start with the bat; 12 had come from the opening over but by the end of the Powerplay they were 28 for 2 with Naseem Shah’s first two overs costing just five.Munro and Bravo rebuilt and upped the tempo before Jaggesar pushed one through Bravo when he missed a pull. The 15th over really dented Knight Riders when Munro was superbly caught at deep midwicket and Pollard edged behind first ball where substitute keeper Joshua Da Silva held on with a juggle.Narine struck two of his first three deliveries straight for six but the 17th over from Dominic Drakes (two runs) and the last from Naseem (eight runs) kept a lid on the scoring rate.

Bayern Munich wonderkid Mathys Tel could be on his way out in January with VfB Stuttgart pondering a loan move.

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Tel could exit Bayern MunichStuttgart interested in the forwardHasn't been a regular under Vincent KompanyFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

German publication BILD have reported that Bayern Munich forward Mathys Tel could be heading towards a January exit from the Allianz Arena, with Stuttgart seemingly interested in acquiring him on loan should certain conditions be met.

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Tel has played only 224 minutes across seven appearances in all competitions this season, which includes just two starts. After a breakout 2023-24 season, Tel was expected to take a leap under new manager Vincent Kompany. However, his progression as one of the jewels of the team has stalled this campaign, which has opened the doors to a possible loan move in the upcoming winter transfer window.

DID YOU KNOW?

Tel had signed a contract extension until 2029 in March earlier this year. But recent developments point towards a future away from Munich. As a consequence of Tel failing to find his feet under Kompany, the Bavarians are now looking for a successor for Harry Kane, who will turn 32 next summer.

GettyWHAT NEXT?

If Tel does indeed join Stuttgart — or any other club on loan for that matter — it could help him rekindle his career at the Allianz Arena in the future. Having regular minutes under his belt and playing under a coach who could show immaculate faith in the player could just prove to be what the Frenchman was missing in the past three to four months.

Some spots are taken, but with India having played just five T20Is this year, there could be competition for the remaining positions

Shashank Kishore18-Aug-202515:24

Will Gill get a chance? Can Shreyas make a comeback?

Who will return – Gill and/or Jaiswal?Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson are the incumbent opening batters, having paired up in each of India’s last 12 T20Is.Abhishek was the standout batter in the most recent T20I series India have played, against England in January. He topped the charts with 279 runs at a strike rate of 219.68, including a 54-ball 135 at Wankhede. Not to forget the left-arm spin alternative he provides – he picked up three wickets in five overs in that series.Samson has been a slightly more hit-and-miss. He struggled with injury and inconsistent form in the IPL and against England, where he was repeatedly troubled by Jofra Archer’s hard lengths and high pace. But, prior to that, Samson was sensational against South Africa and Bangladesh, hitting three centuries in five innings.With Abhishek seemingly a shoo-in, unless the selectors opt for continuity, Samson could yet miss out if Shubman Gill or Yashasvi Jaiswal is picked to open.Jaiswal was India’s back-up opener during last year’s T20 World Cup. Gill, India’s Test captain now, was a travelling reserve, but was subsequently named captain in Zimbabwe and vice-captain to Suryakumar Yadav in Sri Lanka.The compelling case of Shreyas IyerWith Suryakumar, Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel locked in for the middle order, two – or even three – middle-order spots remain.At No. 3, it could be a close contest between Tilak Varma, the incumbent, and Shreyas Iyer. Tilak, like Abhishek and Samson, was impressive in South Africa with two centuries and 280 runs at a strike rate of 198.48, but his IPL was a modest one: 343 runs in 13 innings at an average of 31.18 and strike rate of 138.30.Shreyas, meanwhile, lit up IPL 2025 for Punjab Kings. His strike rate of 175.07 was only behind that of Chris Gayle (2011) and Suryakumar (2023) among those with 600 or more runs in a season. Shreyas’ spin-hitting, especially, makes him a tantalising prospect.If the two are in contention for No. 3, with Suryakumar at No. 4, India could opt for a middle-order finisher as second keeper, if Samson doesn’t make the cut. In which case, Jitesh Sharma, proven in that role for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), could be in the mix.Varun and Kuldeep | Varun or Kuldeep?Kuldeep Yadav was recovering from injury at the time and missed India’s T20I series against England at the start of the year – the only T20Is India have played in 2025. In his absence, Varun Chakravarthy made a big case for himself by topping the wickets charts, his 14 wickets in five games coming at an economy rate of 7.66.That performance helped Varun make a late entry in India’s ODI squad. He was subsequently part of the Champions Trophy-winning side, in the UAE, where he and Kuldeep played as part of a four-pronged spin attack.If Varun and Kuldeep are to feature together in the XI, it’s likely India will either have to sacrifice batting depth or play just one specialist seamer, with Hardik as the second seam option, like they did at times in the Champions Trophy.Who joins Bumrah and Arshdeep?If fit, Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh, India’s highest wicket-taker in T20Is, walk into the side. The third seamer’s spot could be a toss-up between Prasidh Krishna, IPL 2025’s purple cap winner, and Harshit Rana, who picked up three wickets on debut against England in January after coming in as a concussion sub for Shivam Dube.Dube, Parag, Rinku…?And now the lower-middle order.Nitish Kumar Reddy is recovering from injury and is unlikely to be considered. The others in the fray are Washington Sundar, the only frontline offspinner in contention, Dube, Riyan Parag and Rinku Singh. Among them, Rinku may find it hard to break in if the selectors prefer someone who can chip in with the ball.Dube has been a regular in the T20I squad when fit over the past two years, and was the highest run-getter for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at IPL 2025. Parag, who missed the South Africa and England series, is back having recovered from a shoulder injury. But he last played nearly a year ago against Bangladesh.Two other left-field alternatives could be Ramandeep Singh, who was drafted in as Reddy’s replacement for the England T20Is, and legspinning allrounder Vipraj Nigam, who was recently part of a camp for targeted players at BCCI’s Centre of Excellence.The two had contrasting IPLs. Nigam, 20, had a breakout maiden season with Delhi Capitals, picking up 11 wickets in 14 matches. He also hit 142 runs at a strike rate of nearly 180. Ramandeep was in the side for the series against South Africa late last year, but didn’t do much, and struggled with the bat for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), was dropped, and ended the season with 47 runs at a strike rate of 134.28 from seven innings.

Ballon d'Or winner Rodri told Lamine Yamal that he will win the individual accolade in the future after the Barcelona star won the Kopa Trophy.

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• Rodri picks out Yamal in winner's speech
• Yamal wins Best Young Player of the Year award
• Pair won Euro 2024 together with Spain

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  City star Rodri won the historic Ballon d'Or prize on Monday evening, officially being voted as the best player in world football, beating out Real Madrid trio Jude Bellingham, Dani Carvajal and runner-up Vinicius Junior. Yamal, by comparison, won the Kopa Trophy at the ceremony, as the 17-year-old wonderkid was voted the best young player on the planet.

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• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  During Rodri's victory speech, the Spaniard called attention to Yamal, and addressed him directly, telling him that he will eventually win the Ballon d'Or if he keeps improving. The teenager has been in unbelievable form for Barca this season, scoring six goals and laying on seven assists in 14 games, including a strike in the weekend's 4-0 thumping of Real Madrid in El Clasico.

• WHAT RODRI SAID

  Rodri said: "Lamine Yamal will win the Ballon d'Or very soon. I'm convinced of it. Keep it up, keep working hard, you'll get there."

• (C)Getty Images
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  Rodri is currently sidelined for the remainder of the season with an ACL injury. Yamal will next be in action when Barcelona play Espanyol on Sunday in La Liga.

Aston Villa are currently circumventing the snapping jaws of the Premier League's profit and sustainability (PSR) rules but are making headway as the transfer of Douglas Luiz to Juventus edges toward completion, bringing in Weston McKennie and Samuel Iling-Junior as part of the package.

Unai Emery has masterminded an incredible rise at Villa Park but has his work cut out this summer, juggling financial sticking points with the need to style his team ahead of a multi-layered forthcoming campaign, where Premier League football will bounce against the desire to impress on Europe's major stage.

With last season's top-four finish rolling out the carpet for a place in the Champions League, Villa will hope to make some purposeful signings, with one already internally in the works.

Aston Villa transfer news

With Villa fighting to align themselves on the right side of the PSR line before the June 30 deadline, deals are unlikely to be completed this month. But expect the Champions League-qualified side to pounce when free to do so.

Emery hopes to strengthen a range of positions, with left-back a priority. As per Football Insider, the Spaniard is hoping to sign Chelsea's Ian Maatsen to solve that problem, with the full-back enjoying an excellent loan spell with Borussia Dortmund in 2024.

Maatsen, aged 22, has a £35m release clause in his Blues contract that has dissuaded Dortmund from moving for his signature. Villa, too, have reservations about accepting such a figure but are holding daily discussions to determine whether to advance their interest.

Ian Maatsen's 23/24 season in numbers

Maatsen spent the 2022/23 campaign in the Championship with Vincent Kompany's Burnley, enjoying a tremendous breakthrough year as he won the title and was hailed for his "dangerous" qualities by manager Peter van der Veen.

Returning to Chelsea one year ago, Maatsen played a part in Mauricio Pochettino's sole season at the Stamford Bridge helm but featured only 15 times in all competitions, starting just once in the Premier League, before being loaned out in January.

It has been his stint as a Borussia Dortmund loanee that has truly highlighted his quality and suggested that he can flourish in a prominent position at the height of the continental game, for years to come.

As per Sofascore, Maatsen only featured 16 times in the Bundesliga but scored two goals, provided two assists and completed 89% of his passes.

Once praised for his "exceptional" quality by former Coventry City teammate Simon Moore, Maatsen would be a credit to Villa's starting line-up, potentially even benefitting one of the club's best-performing stars.

Why Villa should sign Ian Maatsen

Called up to the Netherlands squad for the ongoing Euro 2024, Maatsen is fast on the rise, with his exploits since leaving Chelsea in January showcasing the value in forging a career path that will see him playing regular football.

As per FBref, the former Yellow Wall loanee ranked among the top 20% of Bundesliga full-backs last season for goals scored, the top 6% for pass completion and passes attempted, the top 10% for progressive passes and the top 14% for progressive carries per 90.

Technically sound and athletic, he would make a marked impact on Aston Villa's fluency and build-up play, potentially even providing a constant outlet for Ollie Watkins.

Watkins, granted, is principally a striker, but he's been found on the wing more than a few times at Villa and with strikers such as Tammy Abraham being coveted for a transfer, Maatsen could indeed be the perfect new teammate.

The Netherlands international's heatmap in the Bundesliga seared through the page, with his 4.9 ball recoveries per game emphasising the impressive ground-covering style.

Maatsen's regular through balls – he ranked among the top 9% in the Bundesliga – and balls into the final third, again, top 9%, suggest that he possesses the enterprise and dynamics to supplement Watkins with the kind of frequency that will see the England international stands a good chance of emulating his remarkable campaign.

Watkins has been a steady shooter for Villa since signing from Brentford in a club-record £33m deal in 2020. But last term, he eclipsed expectations, racking up an extraordinary tally of 27 goals and 13 assists across all competitions.

To boot, Watkins could actually repay the favour. He ranks among the top 3% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists per 90. Maatsen loves a goal and could be fed by the Three Lions star's creative style.

With one of Alex Moreno or Lucas Digne departing a strong possibility for the Lions this summer, Maatsen is understandably at the top of the shopping list, offering something different while boasting skills to align with the fundamentals of Emery's system.

In fairness, £35m would be a little steep for the 22-year-old, but given that Maatsen is about to enter the penultimate year of his Stamford Bridge contract, Enzo Maresca and Co may well be convinced to whittle that tag down, should Villa turn internal discussions toward Stamford Bridge.

What Aston Villa’s starting XI could look like after £105m spending spree

Aston Villa will be looking to build on their momentous 23/24 campaign, having qualified for the Champions League.

By
Angus Sinclair

Jun 6, 2024

One of the most distinguished players in all of ODI cricket has bid farewell

Valkerie Baynes26-Oct-2025

Sophie Devine ended an ODI career that lasted 19 years and four days•ICC/Getty Images

Sophie Devine’s clenched jaw couldn’t stop the tears as she stood on the field ahead of an ODI listening to the New Zealand anthem wrap up for one last time.The fact that her team sent her off without mounting a contest, let alone a fairytale victory against England, and instead exited the World Cup with barely a whimper doesn’t take away from a decorated career.”Everyone wishes that they could finish on a high, but it doesn’t happen very often at all,” Devine said. “I am still so proud and so grateful for everything that this group has given me, and in my whole career. One day, one game doesn’t define that.”I’ve just got so much love that I’ll be really keen just to sit with my team-mates and support staff and just reflect on what’s been a pretty cool ride.”Related

• Allrounder for all seasons – Sophie Devine's ODI career in numbers

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Enjoying the ride formed part of Devine’s reasoning behind announcing before the tournament that she would retire from ODIs immediately after New Zealand’s campaign ended.And while it ended in an eight-wicket defeat as her side were bowled out for just 168 inside 39 overs and with Amy Jones striking back-to-back fours off Devine to bring up the winning runs in an unbeaten 86, she reflected on that last passage of play with trademark deadpan humour.”Jones could have at least patted one back to me and given me another wicket,” Devine said, having removed Heather Knight lbw for 33 in her previous over. “Heather just walked away, I appreciate that.”Today was always going to end at some stage, I guess it’s probably fitting that it happened off my bowling. I got pumped for four, so a bit of a reality check for me just to send me on my way. But cricket, yeah, cricket doesn’t owe you anything.”The truth is, cricket owes Devine a lot.Sophie Devine finished the World Cup as NZ’s highest run-getter•Getty ImagesOne of the sport’s great servants, Devine ends her ODI career after 159 matches as one of only three players in the world – alongside Stafanie Taylor of West Indies and Australia’s Ellyse Perry – to score more than 4,000 runs and take more than 100 wickets in the format.After 19 years and four days, she is New Zealand’s second-longest serving player in ODIs behind great friend Suzie Bates, at 19 years and 236 days and counting. It could have been longer for Devine, had she not paused her career for two years in 2011-12 to represent New Zealand in hockey.Having also played 146 T20Is Devine passed 300 international appearances at this tournament. Her team-mates marked the occasion by presenting her with a necklace made from the pounamu green stone unique to New Zealand which she wore for the toss and anthems in Visakhapatnam on Sunday to “share a little bit of Aotearoa (New Zealand) with the rest of the world”.Devine has also been a forthright advocate for mental health awareness through words and actions, taking breaks from the game in recent years to prioritise her wellbeing, and for living with Type 1 Diabetes, which she regularly has to manage on-field, including at this World Cup.Devine plans to continue playing T20 internationals, having relinquished the captaincy in that format after she and her team-mates lifted the world title last year.Whether she travels to England to defend that crown in mid-2026 remains to be seen but the bigger question is, how will New Zealand move on without her?1:51

Devine reflects on the T20 World Cup win in 2024

Although Bates, who at 38 is two years Devine’s senior, has made no announcements on her future, a time without both stalwarts is a reality the White Ferns have had to consider while it is still too early to gauge the legacy of their T20I success in attracting new players to the game.More than 18 months ago, and more than six months before their T20 World Cup triumph, Devine lamented the lack of depth coming through New Zealand cricket on ESPNcricinfo’s Powerplay podcast. But in the lead-up to this game, the picture was a little brighter.”I am really excited and it’s taken a lot of time,” Devine said last week of New Zealand’s emerging talent. “That’s something that we’ve got to be realistic about, is these things don’t happen overnight.”We’re not like India; we don’t have one billion people to be able to call upon. We’re literally a small country at the bottom the world with five million people and unfortunately cricket isn’t, at the moment, the number one sport. We’re always going to be fighting for the attention of youngsters coming through.”But the opportunities – and that’s what’s really exciting as a selling point to any youngsters in New Zealand at the moment and that’s not just girls, it’s boys as well – it’s that the opportunities that cricket presents to you should be really attractive.”We’re starting to see it now as the depth is starting to grow and it’s going to be a continual process. Just because we’ve brought a few young players through doesn’t mean it’s job done. There’s still lots of work to do in terms of our domestic structure, in terms of our contracting system providing opportunities.”ESPNcricinfo LtdAs New Zealand faced up to the looming prospect of life beyond Devine and Bates, there was faint encouragement from a World Cup campaign which yielded just one win, against Bangladesh, and was hit by two washouts.Brooke Halliday was inside the batting top-10 for the tournament after New Zealand’s final match with 227 at 45.40, including scores of 69 against Bangladesh and 81 against India. At 29 she has good years ahead of her while Georgia Plimmer, the 21-year-old opener, was their best batter against England, with 43.That said, Devine was their leading run-scorer for the tournament with 289 at an average of 57.80, striking at 85.25 and with a century in the opening match, against Australia. Meanwhile, Lea Tahuhu, the 35-year-old seamer, was their leading wicket-taker with 10 at 15.70 and an economy rate of 4.61.While she hasn’t enjoyed her best tournament, allrounder Amelia Kerr was the star of the T20 World Cup and at 25 years of age with 172 international caps already, she is the perfect bridge between generations within the team.That makes Kerr the obvious choice to take over as long-term captain with Bates having assumed the T20 role over the past year, although New Zealand are yet to announce whether she will take over from Devine in ODIs as well.Sophie Devine with her potential successor Amelia Kerr ahead of the World Cup match against England•Getty Images”I’m in a really nice position with having the experience but also having youth on my side,” Kerr said ahead of this World Cup. “I’m in a position where I can relate to all players in the team.”But for me, I don’t think you need a title to lead and I just want to help my team-mates believe in their ability and encourage them to do what they do well and that doesn’t change whether I’ve got a title next to my name or not.”Ben Sawyer, New Zealand’s head coach, was reluctant ahead of Devine’s swansong to name her possible successor.”We’ve identified players that we think could, I guess for want of a better phrase, make up a bit of a leadership group and we’ve spoken to who we think will captain the team,” he said before turning his attention back to Devine.”It’s just been an absolute honour and a privilege to work alongside her. I know in my early days of WBBL, she was always a player that I probably thought it’d be cool to be in the same team as her. I’ve been lucky enough with a couple of franchises and saw her work there, but it’s really in this New Zealand environment where I think she’s at her most comfortable.”She leads this team so well. Everything about this team, the culture, the values that they have on and off the field, I feel from when I stepped in here, they came from Soph. I’m certain that people before her did the same, but from my experience, she’s the one who’s driven this team and it’s up to now some younger players to pick that up and run with it.”Devine also received the appreciation of her opponents as she reluctantly accepted a guard of honour formed by the England and New Zealand squads as she walked from the field.”Having made my announcement so early, everyone knows about it and they probably want to recognise it, whereas I would’ve just liked to have gone under the radar and gone about my business like any other day,” Devine said.Only this wasn’t any other day. It was a special day in a special career – one that, sadly, we won’t see again.