Chloe Kelly is celebrating her 26th birthday, with the Lionesses star poking “glow up” fun at herself after being presented with an old England photo.
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Euro 2022 winner now a household name
Remains a key part of international set-up
Looking to land more silverware in 2024
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WHAT HAPPENED?
The Manchester City forward has become a household name on the back of her dramatic extra-time goal in the 2022 European Championship final. She also starred for her country during a run to the 2023 Women’s World Cup final.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
Kelly has had plenty to celebrate on the pitch of late, and that is now the case off the field as she welcomes in another birthday. Team-mates from club and country have been quick to pass on their best wishes, including England defender Millie Bright and City colleague Bunny Shaw.
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WHAT KELLY SAID
Manchester United defender Gabby George has also wished her Lionesses team-mate well, with Kelly responding to a collection of images posted on social media – which included one from her younger days in the international fold – by saying: “The glow up is real. Love always.”
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WHAT NEXT FOR KELLY?
Kelly is now up to 38 senior caps for England, with seven goals recorded along the way. She will be hoping to land more major silverware in 2024, with City still in the mix for WSL title glory and a FA Women’s Cup triumph.
M Vijay and Virat Kohli added 283 for the third wicket, utterly dispiriting Sri Lanka until Lakshan Sandakan gave them something to cheer with two quick wickets late in the day
The Report by Karthik Krishnaswamy02-Dec-20172:12
Chopra: Vijay showed he’s India’s No. 1 opener
In deference to the Indian team management’s wishes, there was grass on the Feroz Shah Kotla pitch, but Virat Kohli, at the toss, wished there could have been more. It certainly wasn’t enough to turn New Delhi into Newlands, and India, instead of fighting for survival against snarling South African fast bowlers, settled into a typically subcontinental bat-first, bat-big pattern against a limited Sri Lanka attack, facing more spin (59 overs) than seam (31) on day one.For most of the day, Sri Lanka had nothing to cheer as M Vijay and Virat Kohli added 283 for the third wicket, their partnership an exhibition of relentless self-control and a hunger for runs that never tipped over into greed. India rattled along at more than four an over, and as the shadows lengthened, it seemed as if India would end the day only two down.But wristspin can do strange things, and Lakshan Sandakan, whose figures at that point read 20.5-0-109-0, sent down a deliciously-flighted wrong’un, slanting it across Vijay and asking him to reach out to drive. He didn’t pick the direction of turn, groped for the ball, and missed, dragging his back foot out of the crease in the process. Niroshan Dickwella, quick and nimble, did the rest.In his next over, Sandakan repeated the trick against Ajinkya Rahane. The line was a little wider this time, but again the ball landed on that perfect length, broke in the direction the batsman did not anticipate, and again Dickwella removed the bails with the batsman’s toe on the line. India had gone from 361 for 2 to 365 for 4. Sandakan, whose bowling until that point had made Sri Lanka yearn for the control of the absent Rangana Herath, was now doing what he had been picked to do.Still, this was India’s day. At stumps, Kohli was batting on 156, his third hundred in a row and the quickest – he only took 110 balls to reach three figures – of his 20 in Tests. In the process, he also became the fourth-quickest Indian batsman to 5000 Test runs, getting there in his 105th innings.Until the moment of Sandakan’s transformation, Vijay and Kohli had looked utterly secure. Aside from a couple of clearly not-out lbw shouts, their dominance had gone unchallenged, and, in an indictment of the two specialist spinners, the one bowler who had come remotely close to creating chances was the part-time offspinner Dhananjaya de Silva.On 122, Vijay drove early and sent the ball looping towards midwicket rather than the intended direction of cover; it fell just short of the diving Dinesh Chandimal. Then, on 154, he sent an uppish flick in the same direction. This time it eluded the fingertips of the debutant Roshen Silva. In between, de Silva also found Kohli’s leading edge, which fell between the bowler and mid-off.Bowling exclusively from around the wicket, de Silva ended the day with figures of 0 for 45 in 15 overs. Sandakan and Dilruwan Perera finished with a combined 3 for 207 from 44 overs.The foundation of Kohli’s innings was his supreme reading of the spinners’ length, and thereafter his footwork to pounce on marginal lapses. Before lunch, for instance, he took a massive stride out to a good-length ball from Lakshan Sandakan and bisected wide mid-on and deep midwicket with a whip of his wrists. On 68, he went the other way, deep into his crease, to shorten the length of an otherwise decent Dilruwan Perera delivery and bring his wrists into play once more to find the gap between short fine leg and deep square leg.For the quicker bowlers, a “good” length was a fairly small area on this pitch. When they strayed remotely off that area, Kohli and Vijay were quick to put the ball away. Vijay gave a good demonstration of this with a pair of boundaries in the 23rd over, off Lahiru Gamage: a cover drive, followed by a wristy on-drive, both off balls that were far from half-volleys. Kohli, meanwhile, raced from 43 to 55 courtesy three fours off one Gamage over, the pick of them an on-the-up drive through the covers.Vijay went to tea on 101, and resumed with a flurry of attractive boundaries – an inside-out cover drive off Dilruwan, a square-drive off Gamage, a reverse-paddle off Dilruwan. He would only hit one more four after that, though, as he took the singles on offer and made sure he would do everything in his power to keep his quest for that long-yearned-for maiden double-hundred alive. This time, it would really take a good ball to get him out.This hadn’t been true of Shikhar Dhawan and Cheteshwar Pujara, who both got off to breezy starts before falling against the run of play.Once it became clear there was little help in this pitch for the quicks, Dhawan and Vijay were quickly on their way, driving freely on the up and hitting eight fours in the first ten overs. Sri Lanka brought on spin as early as the eighth over, and Dilruwan continued to worry his team with his inconsistent lengths, Dhawan picking up two fours behind point in his first two overs. But he grew a little greedy, and picked out deep square leg with a top-edged sweep on 23. Suranga Lakmal briefly lost the ball in the hazy atmosphere, and lost a shoe while hurriedly changing direction, but managed to hold on.It was Dilruwan’s 100th Test wicket. He might not be the most frugal of spinners, but he has the knack of taking wickets – his 100th had come up in his 25th Test, and no Sri Lankan had got there quicker. Muttiah Muralitharan had taken 27 Tests.In walked Pujara, whose last four partnerships with Vijay read 107, 178, 102 and 209. They seemed to be continuing from where they left off in Nagpur, while scoring twice as quickly, and Pujara in particular was putting the bowlers through the shredder, hitting four fours in the space of three overs, including two back-foot whips off marginally short balls from Dilruwan. But this time, the partnership would only get as far as 36.Lahiru Gamage broke it, Sri Lanka profiting from the same plan that had brought them Pujara’s wicket in the second innings in Galle in late July. Then, he had flicked a full ball from Lahiru Kumara to leg gully. Now, he tucked one off his legs in the same direction, just uppishly enough for Sadeera Samarawickrama to take a sharp catch falling to his left.
Manchester United have been linked with a surprise move for Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite, with the defender impressing Old Trafford scouts last season.
What’s the latest Man United transfer news?
The Red Devils and Erik ten Hag have been productive so far this summer despite the ongoing takeover saga involving the Glazers in the background.
Big-money moves for midfielder Mason Mount and goalkeeper Andre Onana have been finalised, whereas centre-forward Rasmus Hojlund looks set to be the next to arrive.
United submitted a player-plus-cash offer last month, however, Atalanta have been holding out for a cash-only deal, with a package worth around €70m now agreed between the two clubs.
Hojlund has already agreed on a five-year deal in Manchester and is travelling on Tuesday to undergo a medical and finalise a transfer.
Read The Latest Man United Transfer News HERE…
After the Denmark international, it appears as if another new midfielder could be on the cards for United and Ten Hag in Fiorentina’s Sofyan Amrabat. The 26-year-old is into the final 12 months of his contract with the Serie A side, and reports have claimed that a £26m deal is close.
Should Hojlund and Amrabat complete deals for the fees mentioned, United’s summer spend would be pushing £200m, however, it may not be the end of the club’s business.
The Daily Mail shared a transfer round-up on Monday and looked at potential defensive additions at Old Trafford. They name-checked Nice's Jean-Clair Todibo as an option but said Branthwaite is a surprise name on the Old Trafford radar.
“Everton's left-sided centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite, who impressed scouts while on loan at PSV Eindhoven last season, is a surprise name that has been floated.”
Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite.
Who is Jarrad Branthwaite?
Branthwaite is 21 years of age and is a left-footed centre-back who appears to be at the top of his game with a career-high €10m Transfermarkt valuation. He made the move to Everton back in 2020 from Carlisle United and has made 13 senior appearances for the Toffees, scoring once.
During his time on Merseyside, Branthwaite has been sent out on loan to Blackburn Rovers in the Championship and was with Dutch side PSV Eindhoven last season, turning out on 36 occasions.
The defender has been hailed as a ‘terrific footballer’ by his former Carlisle United manager Steven Pressley, who believes he will go on to play for England.
“I told people he was a future England international. Not once from when I gave him his debut did I ever consider leaving him out again, because I felt his performances had been so strong.
“The truth is, I think he has got everything. He can pass the ball almost equally as good with both feet. He’s a terrific footballer.
“And If he continues to develop, then, without doubt, he can be an England player.”
The Red Devils could well be in the market for a new centre-back before the window closes, should someone like Harry Maguire leave amid interest from West Ham.
Branthwaite may not be viewed as an immediate starter at Old Trafford, but over time, he may go from strength to strength and eventually replace one of United’s senior defenders, and by the looks of things, a transfer could be one to keep an eye on.
It’s not been the summer that Wolverhampton Wanderers would’ve planned, with woes regarding Financial Fair Play (FFP) consuming all areas of the club.
After joining the Old Gold back in November, Julen Lopetegui worked wonders in his first season, taking over from Bruno Lage when Wolves were bottom of the table, and firing them to a 13th-place finish.
Following the tests and turnaround of the 2022/23 campaign, the Spaniard has been rumoured to be moving towards the exit door, as the Midlands side’s financial problems become more and more of a hindrance on progression.
Who could replace Lopetegui at Wolves?
As reported by talkSPORT this week, Fosun could seek help in the form of former AFC Bournemouth manager Gary O’Neil, should Lopetegui decide to part ways.
The report claims that the Old Gold owners ‘will consider’ approaching the former Premier League boss in the instance of the Spaniard’s exit.
It would be a fast return for the Englishman, who was let go by the Cherries after keeping them safely in the top-flight at the end of last season.
Should Wolves hire Gary O’Neil?
Praised by Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodsgon for his “fantastic” efforts in keeping Bournemouth up in what was an “enormous job”, O’Neil could be the perfect candidate to take the reins from Lopetegui.
Thrown into action just after the commencement of the 2022/23 season, the 40-year-old was relieved of his role as a coach within the first team and pulled into the spotlight following Scott Parker’s dismissal.
In November, the former midfielder was appointed as head coach following his temporary appointment as interim manager, in a move that ultimately kept the Cherries fighting in the top-flight.
Bournemouth were three points above the relegation zone at the point of his crowning as permanent head coach, and luckily for those at the Vitality Stadium, the Englishman managed to keep the momentum going.
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O’Neil received an abundance of praise for his transformation of things on the pitch for the south coast side, chopping and changing between his favoured 4-2-3-1 formation to find the best shape for the side he had.
Finishing the season in 15th and five points clear of the chop, was a monumental achievement considering the club’s run-in, however at the end of the campaign the 40-year-old was shockingly dismissed.
Speaking following his exit, former Arsenal legend and pundit Martin Keown branded the decision as “brutal”, however in hindsight, it could be good news for Wolves.
Ending last term as the Premier League’s lowest scorers, things had to change this window, however with the club caught up in the midst of FFP concerns, it doesn’t seem as though things will change.
Club chairman Jeff Shi penned an open letter to fans to explain the struggles and to suggest that the transfer situation is not expected to change dramatically before the close of the window.
Lopetegui has spoken openly about how he is “worried” about the new season, leaving many doubtful about his commitment to staying at Molineux.
O’Neil could be the perfect man, considering how he utilised his squad at the Vitality, taking them six league matches unbeaten at the beginning of his tenure and visibility improving the side’s playing style, whilst also helping them beat the drop – something that the Midlands outfit seem destined to face themselves this term.
The Englishman’s thorough tactical approach and ability to not only keep Bournemouth up last season but to implement an attractive style of play, makes him a strong acquisition for Wolves to consider should Lopetegui exit.
Given his experience at a similar level within the Premier League to the Old Gold’s situation last term, his ability to succeed against the odds could turn fortunes around at Molineux.
Sunil Narine’s bat chips off at the bottom as he meets a full toss outside off•Getty Images
Dhaka Dynamites blew away Rajshahi Kings by 99 runs to confirm their place in the BPL playoffs. The result also means that Rajshahi has to win their last game and wait for other results to go their way to remain in the tournament.Dhaka rode on fifties from Joe Denly and Sunil Narine to pile up 205 for 5 in 20 overs. The pair added 129 runs for the opening stand with Narine top-scoring with 69 off 34 balls, an innings which included four fours and six sixes. Denly was more sedate, making 53 off 54 balls.Newcomer Qazi Onik, who took a four-wicket haul on his BPL debut in the previous game, was hammered for 52 from his four overs, taking two wickets.Then it was Shakib Al Hasan’s turn to delight the Mirpur crowd, as he took the big wickets of Lendl Simmons, Mushfiqur Rahim, Luke Wright and Samit Patel to finish with figures of 4 for 8. Mosaddek Hossain (2 for 9) and Shadman Islam (2 for 3) took two wickets each. Out of the four Rajshahi batsmen who got to double-figures, Patel’s 28 was the top score.
Mauricio Pochettino admits Chelsea could dip into the transfer market after losing Christopher Nkunku to a fresh injury worry.
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Chelsea could replace Nkunku in transfer marketPochettino worried by latest injury setbackBlues lack centre-forward optionsWHAT HAPPENED?
Having previously suggested it wasn't necessary to sign another forward this month, Pochettino was asked if Nkunku's hip injury has changed Chelsea's view with regard to a possible transfer hunt. He replied that, depending on the severity, it may now do.
AdvertisementGettyWHAT POCHETTINO SAID
"It's true that now in the next few days, we are going to see the situation. That's why I told you that I am a little worried," the Chelsea boss told reporters ahead of Saturday's game against Fulham.
"I still don't have all the information about whether [Nkunku] is going to be available or not for a small initial period. We need to be very clinical to take some decisions to think and see how we fix the problem.
"All of these situations make our job a little more difficult. I told you before that it is an exciting project but situations like this make it more difficult to change the situation and grow at a different pace."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Nkunku was signed for £53 million ($67m) last June, a deal thought to have been agreed at least six months earlier. But Chelsea fans have barely seen the player who scored 58 goals in 88 appearances in his final two seasons at RB Leipzig, due to a pre-season knee injury that required surgery and delayed the Frenchman's debut until December. He had only played four times in all competitions by the time he was sidelined again with a hip problem suffered in early January. Pochettino had earlier admitted he is 'worried' by the injury and another absence.
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Chelsea need to assess just how long Nkunku will be ruled out for and then need to make a decision on whether they need to reinforce while the January transfer window is open. Although the Blues have Cole Palmer and several wingers, Armando Broja is the only available striker in the first-team squad while Nicolas Jackson is on Senegal duty at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details (Viewers in the Indian subcontinent can watch highlights of the Test here)The entire third day of the Newlands Test was lost to rain, although there might not have been too many people complaining as a result considering Cape Town is in the middle of a severe drought. The showers began on Saturday night and returned in full force in the morning. There were a brief few moments after lunch when it seemed like play could have been possible, but even as the groundsmen were preparing to peel the covers off, the weather turned.Days four and five will now feature 98 overs each, but play will begin at the usual time of 1030 local. At present, South Africa are 65 for 2 – leading India by 142 runs – with Hashim Amla on 4 and nightwatchman Kagiso Rabada on 2 at the crease.
Ireland clinched their first win of the tournament but in their last attempt of the group stage, when they beat Afghanistan by only four runs in Whangarei
ESPNcricinfo staff20-Jan-2018ICC/Getty Images
Ireland clinched their first win of the tournament but in their last attempt of the group stage, when they beat Afghanistan by only four runs in Whangarei. Afghanistan needed 10 runs from the last two overs and only seven from the last but they had only two wickets in hand and were bowled out with four balls to spare. Max Neville started the last over with a no-ball and wide to reduce the equation to five required from six but he removed the last wicket of Qais Ahmad to steal a thrilling win.Chasing 226, Afghanistan could not get any big partnerships going. After losing two wickets for 47 runs by the 11th over, No. 3 Bahir Shah top-scored with 34 and took them close to 100 but handed a return catch to Varun Chopra. Offspinner Harry Tector troubled their middle order with the next three strikes, including the wicket of Tariq Stanikzai (33 off 24) that left Afghanistan on 155 for 6. Captain Naveen-ul-Haq scored 25 off 35 to rally the tail but his was the eighth wicket to fall, at 196. Afghanistan needed 30 from the last seven overs and the pair of Ahmad and Mujeeb took them close but could not finish things off.Earlier, Ireland were troubled by the duo of Wafadar and Ahmad as both took three-wicket hauls. Ireland started slow and were 69 for 2 before Ahmad’s legbreaks accounted for the next three wickets, including opener Jamie Grassi (32), Sam Murphy (2) and Neil Rock (35). Tector, the captain, scored a patient 36 before Wafadar sent the next three batsmen back to leave Ireland on 202 for 8. An unbeaten and quickfire 37 off 24 from Graham Kennedy led Ireland to 225 for 8, proving just about enough in the end.
Major news has rocked Wolverhampton Wanderers fans with manager Julen Lopetegui departing the club.
Things may go from bad to worse as Dean Jones, when speaking with GIVEMESPORT has spoken on the mindset of the players at the club, saying that they do “not appear ready for a new season.”
What does Lopetegui’s departure mean for the Wolves players?
Julen Lopetegui has departed Molineux and the club have very quickly found his replacement. Former AFC Bournemouth boss Gary O’Neil is the man in question and one would think that this swift movement would be a sign of stability.
This may well be far from the truth though in what has already been a complex summer.
Atletico Madrid loanee Matheus Cunha saw his deal made permanent for a sizable fee, somewhere in the region of £43 million. This has been massively offset by the high-profile sale of Ruben Neves, the midfielder who was perennially linked with a major European move and yet he has ended up, alongside many other players, opting to ply his trade in Saudi Arabia.
Defender Nathan Collins also moved on from Wolves with Brentford as his destination, the Bees breaking their transfer record at roughly £23 million for the Irishman.
Players have come and players have gone and if what Jones’ says below is to be believed, then a number of others in black and gold will be considering where their futures lie too.
What has Dean Jones got to say on the developments at Wolves?
“After the good work of last season, this should have been an exciting moment, but the financial restrictions are just taking their toll.
“While the focus was on the manager, it also extends to the playing squad, where I have been told a couple of players are wondering what the knock-on effect will be. I think they would have preferred this was not such a public fallout as they don’t want to hear about concerns over Financial Fair Play.
“Players have to remain focused on playing matters in a time like this, but if there’s a real chance your manager is about to give up on the project because it does not meet the standards he thought he would be able to work at, then it’s worrying. The team does not appear ready for a new season, and the next few days will be interesting.”
Wolves will kick off their new season with a trip to Old Trafford in just a matter of days and yet, there could still be comings and goings before this face-off against Manchester United.
One player worth noting is actually no longer employed by the West Midlands side, in the form of Adama Traore. The winger-come-fullback’s deal at Molineux expired at the beginning of July and a number of European clubs are pursuing him. A trio of those play their football in the Serie A: Napoli, Roma and AC Milan as per Sport.es.
Birmingham Live are reporting that Wolves are keeping tabs on West Ham United forward Michail Antonio. This is particularly fascinating when the saga of another Hammer is considered- Aaron Cresswell has been on the brink of a move to Wolverhampton a number of times and it could still be on the cards.
The 16-year-old could be the key to saving the Blaugrana's season – and keeping their under-fire manager in a job
Lamine Yamal should have ended his first Barcelona appearance with a goal and an assist. It was April 29, 2023, and the then-15-year-old was chucked into a meaningless game against Real Betis. The Blaugrana were leading 4-0 at the time, and having already sealed the title, Xavi had little to lose in turning to La Masia's latest starlet.
Yamal's impact, though, was near-immediate. He touched the ball 12 times, poked an effort on goal, and played an inch-perfect pass over the top of the Betis defence that Ousmane Dembele should have tucked away. Perhaps understandably, he didn't play another minute in the 2022-23 season – the kid still had to worry about his maths homework, after all. But the impact had ben made, his potential influence known.
Nine months on, and Yamal, still 16, has four goal contributions for Barca. Statistically, he is one of the most effective dribblers in La Liga, while the eye test alone suggests that Barca are simply better when Yamal is strutting, scampering and darting down the right-wing.
And yet Xavi remains reluctant to use him. Instead, Raphinha, Ferran Torres and even Joao Cancelo have been preferred in Yamal's favoured position, and that needs to change. Barca are stumbling to a halt in La Liga, and could squander their most obvious chance at a trophy if they lose to Athletic Club in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday.
Xavi needs to put his best players on the pitch to not only bring success to Catalunya, but also save his own job, and so it's time to let Yamal prove that he can grow into being one of the world's best.
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'Nothing like him has been seen'
If there were any doubts about Yamal's potential to be a regular starter in Catalunya, they were swiftly erased in early August. The teenager entered Barca's clash with Tottenham in the Joan Gamper Trophy with 15 minutes remaining and his side losing 2-1 as the Blaugrana turned in the kind of ominous showing that raised questions over Xavi's ability to fire the defending champions up for another title challenge.
In a brief cameo, Yamal offered hope. He assisted Torres for the equaliser, before starting the moves for Barca's third and fourth goals in their comeback win. Yes, this was a glorified friendly between two sides still not yet in the full swing of things, but Yamal proved that he belonged.
The Catalan press, in typically measured fashion, started the hype. In a twist of immense promise and damning expectation, it just so happened that a certain Lionel Messi had enjoyed a similarly electric showing, at the same stadium, in the same rather meaningless game, 18 years previously.
encapsulated the hysteria most effectively in their live blog of the game, claiming that: "since Leo Messi against Juventus in his first Gamper, nothing like him has been seen."
Madness grew from there. Xavi tried to stifle some of the talk around his teenage starlet's performances, but the noise around Yamal multiplied. Spain manager Luis de la Fuente compared him to both Messi and Diego Maradona in a 10-second statement, while former Barca stalwart Rafa Marquez, in his infinite wisdom, likened Yamal to Ronaldinho.
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Patience!
Xavi, though, has done his part in tempering such lofty comparisons. In October, he tried to cool the relentless chatter, saying: "I hope Lamine can mark an era [in football], but we are not doing him any favours saying that… Let's see what the future holds without comparing him with Messi. It's not gone that well for all the players that have been compared with Messi in the past."
The manager has backed that up by curtailing the teenager's minutes. Yamal has been in the staring line-up for just 11 of a possible 28 games in all competitions, and has the same number of league starts as the oft-injured Raphinha. Torres, a player who is less effective out wide than he is centrally, has started three games on the right-wing while Yamal has been fit — leaving the promising youngster to watch from the bench.
It has, undoubtedly, been a point of frustration for Barca fans. But for Xavi, the man charged with maintaining the legs of a player who hasn't played a full season of professional football, it seemed the right solution. He has already lost Gavi, still 19, to a torn ACL, while 21-year-old Pedri can barely string a couple of months together without getting hurt. The Barca coach simply cannot have another overused young talent miss chunks of the season through injury.
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Influential in recent weeks
But as the results have soured, and Barca's performances have dropped off, Yamal's positive influence has become clearer. On Sunday against Betis, Xavi handed the winger his first La Liga start since November 25, and Barca were better for it. Yamal created three chances, completed five dribbles, and grabbed himself an assist as the Blaugrana turned it on in the dying minutes to win 4-2.
That is no new trend, though. Yamal has been an impact substitute for months — offering a series of valuable cameos to give Barca an injection of quality in the dying phases of games. It's something his manager has noticed, too.
“I would ask Lamine to do more of the same: play with courage, confidence, show his talent and quality. He is young but he won’t feel the weight of the occasion because he has enough confidence to make a difference in a game like this, even as a teenager," Xavi said last week.
He did just that in Barca unsuccessful showing in the Spanish Supercopa final. Barca were dire for an hour against Real Madrid, and only really improved when Yamal entered the fray. He teased Ferland Mendy, found neat angles to feed Robert Lewandowski, and linked up well with Ilkay Gundogan. His team may have been on the wrong end of the result, but that was no fault of the teenager's.
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Lewandowski in decline
Yamal's emergence has come at the right time, too, as Barca have a real Lewandowski problem. The Poland striker, the architect of last season's La Liga success, has seen his goals plummet. He has scored just eight times in 18 league appearances this season, a significant drop off from the 23 he bagged last term.
Look more broadly, and things get even more concerning. Lewandowski bagged 18 goals in 37 league appearances in 2023 — averaging just under a goal ever other game. In his last three campaigns at Bayern Munich, he was bagging at least one per game. His goals-to-expected-goals ratio, minus 1.6, is his worst in years. Add the fact that he's 35, and Barca are now in possession of an ageing striker whose career is going the wrong way.
Xavi has made some moves that suggest he knows Lewandowski's best days are behind him. According to reports in the Spanish press, the Barca boss "raged" at his star man at half-time of Barca's win over Almeria just before the winter break. Since then, he has cut Lewandowski's minutes. He played just over 70 against Las Palmas on January 4, and 62 in the win over Betis.
The arrival of Brazilian teenager Vitor Roque alone paints a picture of a club already preparing for a post-Lewandowski world. They might just be facing it sooner than expected, and Yamal can certainly step up and help fill the void.