Sri Lanka head coach Chris Silverwood rued the lack of discipline from his bowlers after his side’s 67-run loss to India in the first ODI in Guwahati.Sri Lanka had put India in after winning the toss but Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill seized the momentum for the hosts with a 143-run stand in just 19.4 overs. Virat Kohli then scored his 45th ODI hundred to help India post a daunting 373 for 7.Related

• Kohli's 45th ODI hundred powers India to victory

• Rohit withdraws appeal for Shanaka's run-out at non-striker's end

• Kohli: 'The game remains simple, desperation doesn't get you anywhere'

• Kohli, Rohit, Gill and India's dew diligence

“Obviously, we didn’t get off to the best start,” Silverwood said after the match. “If I have to be brutally honest, our discipline in the first ten overs was lacking at times, and we allowed India to get off to a good start. This is a high-scoring ground. India knew that they had to get off to a good start and we allowed them to do that.”They gained momentum from that and we had to push back all the time to try to put the brakes on. And I think we did that for a period of time. But when you have a class batting line-up as India have, then it’s difficult to stop them.”Sri Lanka’s fielding was found wanting as well. They dropped Kohli twice, first on 52 and then on 81. He went on to score 113 off just 87 balls.”Yeah, obviously they were costly,” Silverwood said of the dropped catches. “The moments like that are very critical in a game like this – we knew it was going to be a high-scoring one. And we all know if you give a player of Virat’s calibre opportunities, he would take it. And that’s exactly what he did today.”Of course, it was an excellent knock but had we taken those opportunities he presented, you never know.”In response, Sri Lanka were 206 for 8 at one stage before their captain Dasun Shanaka added 100 with Kasun Rajitha in an unbroken ninth-wicket partnership. Shanaka finished with an unbeaten 108 but his innings only reduced the margin of the defeat.Shanaka was Sri Lanka’s highest run-getter during the T20I series as well. While Silverwood lauded Shanaka, he didn’t agree the side was overly reliant on him, pointing out that Pathum Nissanka too scored 72 on Tuesday and added 72 with Dhananjaya de Silva for the fourth wicket.

Watch on ESPN Player in the UK

WATCH the first India vs Sri Lanka ODI full replay

“I think he [Shanaka] has done himself a world of good,” Silverwood said. “He has put himself in the marketplace now. I am sure the [IPL] franchises will be looking at him [Shanaka was unsold at the auction] and seeing how dynamic a cricketer he is. He is a great striker of the ball, so hopefully, he will get an opportunity.”[But] I don’t think we rely [only] on Dasun. He is in a great vein of form at the moment, so obviously he is shining. If you look, we had Pathum also score runs today. I thought the partnership between him and Dhananjaya gave us some momentum when they were together.”We have seen over a period of time that each individual at times has put their hand up and been counted. So I am not overly worried about that. Obviously, we need them to put their hands up more, especially on very good tracks like this, to put that fight up, to build partnerships. So that’s a constant work.”With just one day’s gap before the next game, Sri Lanka will also be fretting about Dilshan Madushanka’s injury. The left-arm seamer had walked off when he hurt his right shoulder while trying to make a stop in the field. Silverwood said he would go for an X-ray to make sure everything is okay.

Every Chelsea fan will be loving life at the minute, with boss Enzo Maresca working wonders during his first few months at Stamford Bridge.

The Italian has guided the Blues to second place after the first 14 matches of the campaign, sitting just seven points off leaders Liverpool after their impressive recent run of form.

His side are unbeaten in seven Premier League matches, claiming a huge 5-1 victory against relegation strugglers Southampton on Wednesday night.

Maresca has implemented a beautiful attacking system that has led to 31 goals so far this season – the most of any side currently in England’s top-flight.

However, he could be about to add further firepower to his attacking department, potentially catapulting the club into an unexpected title charge in the closing months of 2024/25.

Chelsea targeting January move for £67m star

According to CaughtOffside, Chelsea are targeting a deal for a new striker in the January window, with a plethora of names put into the mix over a potential move to West London.

However, one player they appear to be interested in is Juventus talisman Dušan Vlahović, after the Serbian’s excellent start to the campaign which has seen him notch nine goals in his first 16 appearances in all competitions.

They would face competition from Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal side, with the Spaniard also looking to solve their problem position to boost their own title ambitions.

Any deal for the 24-year-old would be an expensive one, with the report claiming that it would take a fee in the region of €75m (£67m) for the Italian giants to part with their star attacker.

Whilst on the face of it, it may be another massive sum for Todd Boehly to fork out, any deal for the towering ace would be well worth the price tag, especially given his comparison to one of Europe’s leading strikers in recent times.

Why Vlahovic would be Chelsea’s own Haaland

Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has been a dominant force in recent years, providing a constant source of goals for Pep Guardiola’s men in the league and Europe.

The Norwegian has registered 107 goals in his 118 appearances for the Citizens, helping them finally end their wait for a Champions League title back in 2022/23.

Haaland has also smashed all the English records, scoring 36 times in the same season, writing his name into history, and becoming the holder of the most goals scored in a single 38-game campaign.

However, after Vlahovic’s own impressive start to 2024/25, he’s been deemed as a similar player to the City star by FBref – a huge statement given the form of the former Borussia Dortmund talisman.

When delving into their respective figures from the ongoing season, the Serbian has matched or bettered Haaland in numerous key areas, leading to Italian legend Christian Vieri previously labelling him as “one of the best young talents in the world”.

The “phenomenal” Juve attacker, as dubbed by journalist Ollie Spencer, may have registered fewer combined goals and assists, but has shown his ability to be that focal point the Blues have been craving since the summer, winning more of his aerial duels.

How Dušan Vlahović compares to Erling Haaland in 2024/25
Statistics (per 90)	Vlahovic	Haaland
Games played	12	14
Goals & assists	6	13
Progressive passes	0.8	0.6
Progressive carries	0.7	0.6
Pass completion rate	70%	69%
Aerials won	1.4	1.1
Aerials success rate	47%	42%
Stats via FBref

He’s also completed more progressive carries and progressive passes per 90, offering an all-round option that could allow the likes of Cole Palmer and Noni Madueke to continue to bolster their own goalscoring tallies with his service and hold-up play.

Whilst, on the face of it, any deal for Vlahovic would be another massive investment, he would be an option that could transform Maresca’s options in the final third.

No one could’ve predicted the Blues’ mega start to the league season, with any deal for the forward only enhancing their chances of either reaching the top four or doing the unthinkable and claiming title glory.

Chelsea need to sell their £64m problem who Boehly dubbed "world-class"

Chelsea must sell a problem player who was once described as “world-class” by the club’s owner.

By
Connor Holden

Dec 6, 2024

Capitals struggled against Super Giants’ bowlers in the 194 chase on a challenging pitch

Deivarayan Muthu01-Apr-2023

Mark Wood picked up the first five-for of IPL 2023•BCCI

An explosive 38-ball 73 from Kyle Mayers on IPL debut and a blistering spell of fast bowling from Mark Wood, who was featuring in only his second IPL game, razed Delhi Capitals in Lucknow.Mayers might not have even played this game for Lucknow Super Giants had Quinton de Kock been available for the franchise. He was dropped on 14 by Khaleel Ahmed and in the powerplay, he managed only a run-a-ball 17. The left-handed batter then lined up Capitals’ left-arm spinners Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav to finish with almost two runs a ball; Super Giants finished with an above-par 193 for 6 on a challenging pitch.Wood then took the pitch out of the equation and knocked over Prithvi Shaw and Mitchell Marsh with 147kph thunderbolts. He went on to become the second England player after Dimitri Mascarenhas to bag a five-wicket haul in the IPL. Though Capitals’ new captain David Warner made a half-century, he couldn’t keep in touch with the mounting asking rate. Capitals eventually fell short of their target by 51 runs. Impact Players: Aman Khan and K GowthamAfter Khaleel finished his four overs with the ball, Capitals replaced him with Aman Khan. Aman, who is arguably a better fielder than Khaleel, patrolled the boundary in the last over of Super Giants’ innings. Then, when he came out to bat at No.7 for Capitals, their chase had already spiralled out of control.With just one ball left in their innings, Super Giants roped in allrounder K Gowtham as an Impact Player in place of Ayush Badoni, who had just holed out for 18 off seven balls. Gowtham launched his first ball – and the final ball of the innings – for six and then gave up just 23 runs in his four overs. Warner, in particular, struggled to get Gowtham away, managing only seven off eight balls from him.Kyle Mayers brought up a 28-ball half-century•BCCI

Mayers messes with Kuldeep and AxarThe Ekana pitch was a strange one. The green patch offered some extra bounce while the drier areas assisted turn. At the post-match presentation, Warner felt that they were playing on two different surfaces from either end. Mayers didn’t take too many risks in the powerplay, where Super Giants crawled to 30 for 1.But then he went on a boundary-hitting spree against Kuldeep and Axar. All up, he smashed them for 42 off 17 balls. It needed a ripper from Axar to bowl Mayers in the 12th over. Mayers’ early success in the IPL will leave Super Giants’ management with a happy headache once de Kock links up with the side after the final ODI against Netherlands, which is on April 2.Pooran, Badoni provide finishing kickNicholas Pooran, for whom Super Giants had shelled out INR 16 crore (USD 1.95 million approx.) at the auction, also made a good impression, hitting 36 off 21 balls. Pooran cracked his fourth ball for six and went onto hit two more sixes. Twenty-three-year-old Ayush Badoni, who was Super Giants’ finisher last season, pitched in with 18 off seven balls as Super Giants posted a huge total. Wood cranks it up Wood then took centre stage as he harried Capitals with high pace and trampoline bounce. After softening Prithvi Shaw with the bouncer, Wood went fuller and stormed through his defences with a seemingly unplayable inducker. He went even fuller to Marsh next ball and bowled him in similar fashion by getting the ball to zip back in off the seam. Wood missed the hat-trick, but in his next over, he banged one in at Sarfaraz Khan’s throat and had him ramping a catch to deep fine leg when he was aiming to clear deep third. Wood returned to decimate the lower order too and marked his return to the IPL after five years with a Player-of-the-Match display.

A young Cricket Australia XI, introduced to offer opportunities, has failed miserably in the first two games of the Matador Cup without any experienced figures to guide them through

Daniel Brettig07-Oct-20153:34

‘CA XI going to struggle but has lot of potential’ – Starc

So many writers in recent times have been offered unpaid work “offering great exposure” that a joke has emerged about said freelancers dying of said exposure. The line sprung to mind over the past three days in the first two matches for the Cricket Australia XI in the Matador Cup, beaten out of sight by New South Wales on Monday then razed still more brutally by Victoria on Wednesday – all in the name of “exposure at this level”.It had been the Bushrangers coach David Saker who first raised public concerns about such beatings being detrimental to a collective of young talents unaccompanied by players of significant first-class experience. Saker’s worries were brushed off by the national talent manager Greg Chappell, who predicted the tyros would be very competitive and “likely” to win a couple of games.Chappell’s long-time advocacy of youth, often to the expense of more seasoned players, was made manifest in the abortive Futures League experiment of five years ago. But even that competition afforded the young teams a sprinkling of experience to guide them. This time around the CA XI is bereft of even that kind of guidance, with only the opener Marcus Harris having played more than a handful of games for his state.This is not to say that more senior pros are unavailable. The reshuffling of Cup squads due to the cancellation of the Bangladesh tour left the likes of Ben Rohrer and Jon Wells without their former places, while South Australia had left out Mark Cosgrove from the team.Cosgrove has just completed a successful northern summer with Leicestershire, where he has found not only run-making form but also personal discipline as a result of fatherhood and a senior role with the Foxes. Might it not have been useful to have him around to walk younger players through their first few overs against the likes of James Pattinson and Mitchell Starc, while also telling tales of his wayward, wasted younger days over dinner?There is an Australian precedent for a team composed entirely of stripling talent embarrassing far more travelled opposition. In 1994 the Cricket Academy team shepherded by Rod Marsh beat Mike Atherton’s England tourists twice in as many days at North Sydney Oval. At the time it was seen as proof of English cricket’s poverty, but later years were to prove that Australia’s talent stocks were at this point in unusually strong shape.What is more usual is for young players to face plenty of hard knocks and second thoughts in competition against older men in club and state tournaments. The truly outstanding youngsters – think Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke or Steven Smith here – will find their way through the system through a combination of advocacy and performance, but most others will take longer to find themselves.Chappell has always been eager to fast-track this process in the belief it will uncover more great players than the traditional way, but evidence of this is scant. To reason that more young players will emerge as outstanding simply through opportunities freely given on the basis of age group is a calculation that lacks nuance for the way so much learning is done, not only in cricket but in life.More prevalent is the kind of scenario glimpsed at Hurstville two days ago, on the same pitch the CA XI would be bowled out for 79 upon. Travis Head is a young identified talent as both batsman and leader, but he has learned to smooth the rough edges of his game by playing alongside older men, not just against them. Head’s reflections on how the gap-finding, field-manipulating Callum Ferguson had helped him add finesse to his favoured power game are worth taking note of.For their part, the CA XI are adamant they don’t need any extra help. Their leader William Bosisto is a former Australia Under-19 captain and a polished speaker, something he showed when asked whether some more senior cricketers should be drafted in alongside him. “I’ve heard people say ‘do you need an experienced player in your line-up’,” he said.”I guess that would be one approach but I think the whole idea of having the Cricket Australia XI in the tournament is to give 11 young guys exposure and see what it’s like at this level and see what we have to improve to be competitive. From a personal perspective I know I’ve learned lots of the last two days about where I need to get to be able to dominate at this level and I think that’s invaluable exposure.”There’s no point sitting around in the change room dwelling on today’s performance or Monday’s performance. We came up against two strong sides and we didn’t perform anywhere near as we expected ourselves to or as we would have liked, but the chat was straightaway about moving forward and we play Tasmania on Saturday, so we’re looking for ways we can get better and be competitive against Tasmania.”Cricket teams are generally chosen with their performance in mind. The CA XI has been picked for reasons of exposure instead, and it is now abundantly clear that this approach has created a crucible that only the most resilient young men will find a way to survive in. They are being offered no quarter by the opposition, and precious little advice on how to counter that. Some will work it out for themselves, some will not.Whether they can improve enough over the next few weeks to close the vast margins of their first two games, as per Chappell’s prediction, remains to be seen. But something else to ponder is how many of these young men will be chewed up and spat out of the game by the experience, then never seen in Australian colours again.

Union stars Oliver Semmle, Jovan Lukic, Bruno Damiani, and Ian Glavinovich rang the ceremonial bell prior to the Sixers’ game against the Bucks

Union quartet participates in 76ers pre-game traditionYoung stars showcase connection between Philly sports teamsHighlights Union's rising profile in the cityGetty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED

Philadelphia Union players Oliver Semmle, Jovan Lukic, Bruno Damiani, and Ian Glavinovich were invited to ring the ceremonial bell at the Wells Fargo Center, tipping off the Philadelphia 76ers' home game against the Milwaukee Bucks.

The soccer stars received a warm welcome from the NBA crowd as they participated in the pre-game ritual.

AdvertisementWHAT PHILADELPHIA UNION POSTEDTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The Bucks defeated the 76ers 126-113. Giannis Antetokounmpo had a historic performance, becoming the first player in NBA history to record 35 points, 17 rebounds, and 20 assists in a game.

Despite the 76ers' efforts, they couldn't match the Bucks' offensive firepower, shooting only 30.8 percent from beyond the arc.

Getty Images SportWHAT’S NEXT?

Following a goalless draw against Orlando City on Saturday night, Philadelphia Union remain third on the Eastern Conference table with 13 points and are two points behind conference leaders Columbus Crew (15). They face New York City FC next on the road on April 12.

MatériaMais Notícias

da mrbet： O Palmeiras conquistou uma vitória épica sobre o Atlético-MG e bateu o adversário por 1 a 0, nesta quarta-feira, no Mineirão. O resultado coloca o Verdão nove pontos à frente do vice-líder do Brasileirão e muito desse triunfo vai para a conta de Murilo, autor do gol palmeirense e melhor em campo nesta noite em Belo Horizonte.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasFora de CampoJornalistas se revoltam com anulação de gol do Palmeiras: ‘Coisa bizarra’Fora de Campo29/09/2022PalmeirasATUAÇÕES: Murilo aparece como zagueiro-artilheiro e faz Palmeiras decolar na liderançaPalmeiras28/09/2022BrasileirãoPalmeiras supera desfalques, arbitragem e bate o Atlético-MG para ampliar liderança no BrasileirãoBrasileirão28/09/2022

da brdice： GALERIA
> Veja a validade do contrato dos jogadores do elenco do Palmeiras

TABELA
> Veja classificação e simulador do Brasileirão-2022 clicando aqui

Em entrevista para a TV Globo na saída de campo, o zagueiro, que chegou ao seu nono gol na temporada, revelou que realizou um sonho ao ser eleito o melhor em campo pela transmissão.

-Saímos com os três pontos e eu estou muito feliz. Sempre sonhei muito ser eleito o melhor da partida no Brasileirão e hoje realizei esse sonho – disse o defensor ao receber o troféu oferecido pela Globo.

O tento de Murilo saiu de uma jogada ensaiada entre Marcos Rocha e Gustavo Scarpa, que errou um chute, mas ele acabou sendo uma assistência para o zagueiro, que desviou para a rede. Ele confirmou que se tratou de um lance trabalhado e afirmou que Scarpa já solicitou que a assistência vá para a conta dele na temporada.

-Jogada ensaiada sim. Treinamos muito isso e estamos treinando bastante essa jogada. Graças a Deus hoje deu certo, fiz o gol e o Scarpa deu a assistência. Ele gritou tanto ali, “assistência, assistência”, e graças a Deus pude fazer o gol – contou o camisa 26 palmeirense.

O Palmeiras foi a 60 pontos no Brasileirão e abriu nove pontos do Fluminense, que é o novo vice-líder, já que o Internacional apenas empatou e agora está dez pontos atrás. Na 29ª rodada, o Verdão vai até o Rio de Janeiro para enfrentar o Botafogo, segunda-feira, às 20h.

It’s fair to assume Madhya Pradesh will not have a chance to defend their Ranji title in 2022-23. That’s because Bengal, the team they beat in the semi-final during their victorious run last year, have now batted them out of the contest at Holkar Stadium, in their own conditions.If pocketing a 268-run first-innings lead wasn’t big enough, Bengal ensured they batted right through the fourth day to run MP ragged. They ended on 279 for 9, ahead by a mammoth 547 runs at stumps.Anustup Majumdar, who made 120 in the first-innings, top-scored in the second dig too. His 219-ball 80 blunted MP’s threat even as wickets fell around him. The base was set during the course of an 85-run stand with Sudip Kumar Gharami, who made 41, before Bengal lost a clutch of wickets.Related

• Akash Deep, the key cog in Bengal's quest for Ranji glory

• Jackson, Vasavada give wings to Saurashtra's Ranji dream

• Five for Akash Deep as Bengal take huge lead

Bengal, however, found some resistance from the lower order, with Pradipta Pramanik making his maiden first-class half-century. Pramanik, playing only his fourth game this season, was unbeaten on 60. He had Ishan Porel for company as the last-wicket pair batted out nearly 14 overs for 56 runs, of which Porel scored just a solitary run.Kumar Kartikeya, the left-arm spinner, did much of the bowling for MP. He toiled away for 46 overs that brought him three wickets. Spin accounted for 88 of the 119 overs Bengal faced, with offspinning allrounder Saransh Jain, one of the few bright spots with the bat for MP in this match, picking up 6 for 103.

MatériaMais Notícias

da gbg bet： Em duelo válido pela30ª rodada do Brasileirão, Corinthians e Juventude empataram por 2 a 2 no Alfredo Jaconi. O Timão abriu o placar no primeiro tempo, com Giuliano. Logo no início da segunda etapa, Óscar Ruiz igualou a partida. Yuri Alberto recolocou a equipe de Vítor Pereira na frente, mas Pitta aproveito vacilo defensivo corintiano e voltou a empatar. Veja os melhores momentos da partida no vídeo acima.

RelacionadasCorinthiansATUAÇÕES: Raul Gustavo e Mosquito falham em empate do Corinthians com o JuventudeCorinthians04/10/2022CorinthiansCorinthians terá desfalque na defesa contra o Athletico-PR pelo BrasileirãoCorinthians04/10/2022CorinthiansCom ‘show de presentes’, Juventude e Corinthians empatam em Caxias do SulCorinthians04/10/2022

da cassino： Raul Gustavo e Mosquito falham em empate do Corinthians com o Juventude; veja notas
+ Veja tabela e simule as próximas rodadas do Brasileirão

Turning their attention towards the January transfer window in the middle of another tough spell of form, Manchester United are reportedly pressing to sign a defensive reinforcement who has already spoken to Ruben Amorim.

Man Utd transfer news

Shocked by Wolverhampton Wanderers and embarrassed by Bournemouth at Old Trafford, Manchester United desperately need the January transfer window to arrive, especially since they sit eight points clear of the dropzone in what should not even be a concern for a side of their stature heading into the second half of the season. With Newcastle United up next, however, things don’t get any easier.

Man Utd on red alert as January opportunity emerges to sign "fantastic" ace

The Red Devils could land a bargain deal…

1 ByTom Cunningham Dec 29, 2024

Even in the middle of such a run, it doesn’t look as though Marcus Rashford will be granted a return after being exiled by Amorim. Yet to be impressed by the Carrington graduate, the new manager looks set to show Rashford the door and leave some of Europe’s biggest clubs circling around his signature when 2025 arrives.

Instead, the focus looks set to be on finding players who suit his 3-4-2-1 system to finally turn things around at Old Trafford, which may well see a vital defensive reinforcement arrive.

According to RMC Sport, via Sport Witness, Manchester United have submitted an opening offer to sign Nuno Mendes from Paris Saint-Germain in the winter window. SW also relayed reports from Portugal that the left-back has already spoken to Amorim in what was reportedly a convincing conversation.

Having been not impressed at PSG’s new contract proposal, Mendes’ current deal is set to expire in the summer of 2026. Whether that hands United the chance to land a cut-price deal remains to be seen, but it could certainly accelerate any transfer.

"Explosive" Mendes could be instant upgrade

A player who thrived under Amorim at Sporting Club to earn a deserved move to PSG, Mendes, valued at £58m, seemingly has the chance to work under his former manager at Manchester United in what would be the biggest move of his career yet. The left-back could be an instant upgrade too, given how well he knows the new system and how much of an attacking threat he provides compared to Diogo Dalot.

Starts

8

18

Assists

1

1

Key Passes P90

1

0.68

Ball Recoveries P90

5.86

5.62

Still just 22 years old, the best is yet to come for Mendes as Manchester United look to become the ultimate benefactor in continued rise to the top of European football.

Replacing Luke Shaw feels more and more important for those at Old Trafford, with patience slowly running thin over his ability to avoid consistent injury setbacks. Dubbed “explosive” by analyst Ben Mattinson, Mendes should be high up on the list of candidates to replace the England international as early as the January transfer window.

Aston Villa’s never-say-die attitude was on full display during their most recent Premier League clash against Arsenal.

With Liverpool extending their lead at the top of the table courtesy of two late Darwin Núñez goals, the Gunners knew nothing else than a victory against Unai Emery’s side would give them a major boost in the title race.

Mikel Arteta’s men scored twice to open up a two-goal advantage with just over 30 minutes remaining, and it looked like they were closing in on three points.

13 minutes later, Villa had netted two goals of their own to even things up, showing wonderful grit to come back into the game and secure a positive result.

Youri Tielemans netted Villa’s first goal before Ollie Watkins scored the equaliser with a fierce finish.

New signing Donyell Malen was in the matchday squad, but he didn’t make it onto the pitch during the game.

The Dutchman joined from Borussia Dortmund recently and could add some more firepower to Emery’s squad.

Why Aston Villa signed Donyell Malen

Emery knew that bringing in a few players during the January transfer window could boost the club’s chances of finishing in the top four of the Premier League table, thus qualifying for the Champions League yet again.

While the likes of Jhon Duran and Morgan Rogers have been excellent this season, luring a player such as Malen certainly gives Villa another edge going forward, while adding competition for the attacking players in the squad.

An initial reported fee of £21m was spent on bringing Malen to the Premier League, while the total deal could well be worth around £27.7m including performance-related add-ons.

On the surface, it sounds like a bargain. How good is the former Dortmund star, however?

Well, the 26-year-old tends to operate across the front three, deployed on either flank or occasionally as a centre-forward.

During the first half of the season for Dortmund, he wasn’t exactly prolific, scoring just five goals across 21 matches in all competitions, although two goals and an assist came in the Champions League, proving that he can perform at the highest level.

As well as these goal contributions in Europe’s premier club competition, Malen also registered 1.8 shots per game, averaged 0.6 key passes, and created a big chance while succeeding with 0.6 dribbles.

These statistics might not sound exciting, but given he averaged just 48 minutes per game, it shows how effective he can be despite limited time on the pitch. Villa fans know that all too well with how effective Jhon Duran is with limited game time.

Market Movers

Football FanCast's Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club's star player or biggest flop worth today?

If he can produce the goods for Emery, then his market value will only continue to rise as time marches on. That’s for sure.

That said, Villa do already have a player within their ranks who is worth close to double that of the Dutch maestro, one that hasn’t quite been at their best throughout the current campaign…

The Aston Villa star who is worth more than Malen

Last season, Watkins reaped the rewards of becoming Emery’s main man up front, scoring an impressive tally of 27 goals while registering 13 assists, showcasing his many attacking talents.

When compared to his positional peers in the top flight last season, the Englishman ranked in the top 1% for assists (0.36), the top 7% for goal-creating actions (0.73) and in the top 26% for touches in the attacking penalty area (6.01) per 90.

These statistics proved that he was certainly one of the best centre-forwards in the Premier League during 2023/24. A season like this should have pushed Watkins on to better things this term, but it hasn’t worked out like that.

So far, the striker has scored just ten goals in 29 appearances for the club, recording seven assists in the process. With Duran finally bursting through to make a big impression, Watkins has endured a tough time of things recently.

His goal against Arsenal could be the catalyst for him to enjoy a solid second half of the season, no doubt about that.

Goals

19

10

Assists

13

4

Big chances created

11

4

Key passes per game

1.2

0.8

Shots per game

2.9

2.6

Defender Conor Coady hailed Watkins as a “nightmare” to play against following a match last season and if he can return to that sort of form, it will be a boost for Emery.

Ollie Watkins’ market value in 2025

Although the England international might not have been at his very best this season, his displays for club and country have seen his value soar recently with Villa truly striking gold on their initial investment of £28m.

Now, according to Transfermarkt, the striker is valued at €55m (£47m), which means the club could secure a major profit on him if Emery ever decided to cash in on the player.

Additionally, the 28-year-old is worth nearly double the value of new signing Malen, suggesting that the club have well and truly hit the jackpot on the 18-cap hitman.

Under Emery, Watkins has developed from a reliable top-flight centre-forward into one of the best finishers in the division, ensuring he has reached his full potential in the Midlands.

If he can use his goal against Arsenal as a starting point to go on a decent run over the next couple of months, then it could push Villa towards the top four of the table.

This could see his valuation soar even further. That’s a certainty.

He's better than Bade: Aston Villa keen on signing "monster" defender

Aston Villa could make an even better move than Bade by signing this experienced “monster”

ByConnor Holden Jan 19, 2025