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أعلن الاتحاد الأوروبي لكرة القدم “يويفا”، عن الفائز بجائزة رجل مباراة مانشستر يونايتد وتوتنهام في الدوري الأوروبي.

واستقبل ملعب “سان ماميس” مباراة مانشستر يونايتد وتوتنهام، ليلة الأربعاء، في نهائي الدوري الأوروبي 2024-2025.

وبهدف دون مقابل، حسم توتنهام المباراة لصالحه أمام مانشستر يونايتد، ليتوج بطلاً للدوري الأوروبي.

وحصل قائد توتنهام كريستيان روميرو على جائزة أفضل لاعب في المباراة، أمام مانشستر يونايتد.

وأحرز برينان جونسون هدف فوز توتنهام في الدقيقة 42، والذي منح فريقه اللقب على حساب مانشستر يونايتد.

ويعد ذلك اللقب الأول لتوتنهام منذ 17 عامًا، وأصبح بوستيكوجلو أول مدرب أسترالي يتوج ببطولة أوروبية كبرى.

اقرأ أيضًا | بعد التتويج بالدوري الأوروبي.. محمد صلاح يوجه رسالة لبوستيكوجلو ويذكره بتصريحه الجريء

ومر مانشستر يونايتد وتوتنهام بموسم عصيب، ورغم احتلالهما المركزين السادس عشر والسابع عشر على الترتيب في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، إلا أن كليهما تمكن من التأهل لنهائي الدوري الأوروبي.

وباعتباره بطلاً للدوري الأوروبي، توتنهام سيلتقي في السوبر الأوروبي، مع الفائز بنهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا بين باريس سان جيرمان وإنتر ميلان.

Selectorial wizardry and logic decoded

Andy Zaltzman18-Mar-2015Late changes to established teams in the run-up to a World Cup are a recipe for disaster
Amidst the myriad reasons for England’s latest failure to win their first World Cup, England put all their eggs in the Cook basket, then jettisoned the basket shortly before the tournament, leaving them with a bunch of uncooked and partially scrambled eggs. Chris Woakes and James Taylor had their roles reassigned, Gary Ballance was summoned as a like-for-like replacement for Cook’s batting when what was needed was an unlike-for-like substitution. This is not to suggest that England, without these voluntary upheavals, would have rampaged to World Cup glory. Not necessarily, anyway. But with the World Cup looming, the England selectors took the bull by the horns, and the bull has kebabed them like an incompetent matador.Late changes to established teams in the run-up to a World Cup are a recipe for success
On January 11, three weeks after Cook was informed of his involuntary bonus spring vacation, Trent Boult made a comeback to the New Zealand ODI side. He had played in three of their previous 36 matches, after being dropped in November 2012 – one in February 2013, two in October 2014. Mitchell McClenaghan had played in 28 of those games, Kyle Mills in 26. They were New Zealand’s two leading wicket-takers, with 56 and 30 victims respectively. Only one bowler had played more often, or sent down more overs. Boult took 0 for 98 in his first two matches back, leaving him with ten wickets at an average of almost 50 in a deeply unspectacular one-day career that stood in striking contrast to his Test performances (93 wickets at 25 in that same period).If England’s selectors had taken leave of any discernible remnants of their senses, then New Zealand’s might have appeared to be doing the same. Boult has taken 15 wickets at 15 in the six group matches, ten of which have been top-four batsmen. McClenaghan played once, against Bangladesh, when, in an understandable outbreak of rustiness, he fell over a lot and watched his bowling disappear to the boundary a lot. Mills has remained unused.The one bowler who had appeared and bowled more than the two jettisoned seamers – spinner Nathan McCullum, also usurped, replaced by the returning Daniel Vettori, who until October, had played three ODIs in three and a half years. Vettori has taken 13 wickets at 13.With the World Cup looming, the New Zealand selectors took the bull by the horns, and slam-dunked the bull like a young Michael Jordan.Pakistan’s selectors are geniuses
Most people would have inked in Sarfraz Ahmed as Pakistan’s wicketkeeper at the start of this tournament. They would have considered his three centuries and three further half-centuries in the latter half of 2014, scored at an extremely 21st-century scoring rate, and they would have concluded that he had probably earned enough selectorial patience to ride out a distinctly undisastrous run of middling scores in ODIs, which included some useful fast-scoring cameos, in the build-up to the World Cup. Then they would have considered the alternative – Umar Akmal, who, since August, had passed 15 just twice in ten ODI innings (a 46 and a 29), and whose name, incontrovertibly and with inescapable genetic foreboding, included the word “Akmal”.Those people would all have been idiots. Pakistan’s selectors have pulled off a masterstroke of counterintuitive selectorial wizardry. They know that nothing can boost a side more than a transformation in fortunes – their nation’s victory from the precipice of elimination in 1992 bears testament to that. As many a panicking football manager will tell you on Transfer Deadline Day, one of the best ways of achieving such a transformation is to introduce high-class players to the team who can make a significant improvement.Sarfraz’s recent performances proved beyond doubt that he was such a player. Therefore, he had to be left out. He had to sit on the sidelines whilst Pakistan’s batsmen flunked and fumbled through their first few matches, and as Akmal spilled chances with familiar familial saucepan-handedness, as Nasir Jamshed, with a selfless heroism given to few, induced wicket-expectant complacency in Pakistan’s opponents by scoring an almost negative amount of runs.With the two defeats against India and West Indies duly secured, and an unconvincing batting display against Zimbabwe having proved conclusively that Pakistan would be no threat to any of the stronger sides and were a lively candidate to be eliminated before the knockout stage, Sarfraz was introduced for the vital, must-win matches against South Africa and Ireland.A run-a-ball 49 against South Africa was highly influential in a low-scoring match; his six catches helped secure a momentum-shifting victory. Then his nerveless hundred of accumulative restraint made light work of the chase against the Irish (a game in which the now-gloveless Akmal took four catches in the field). How would Pakistan have achieved such tournament-shifting improvement without a player of Sarfraz’s form and calibre to call upon? They would not. You might argue that they might not have been in such a mire in the first place, but that is none of anyone’s business. Pakistan could not take that risk. They didn’t need momentum for six weeks. They needed it for three.This has surely established a blueprint for all future tournaments in all sports. Leave out one of your key players, take yourself to the brink of failure, then use a morale-boosting recall to slingshot yourself away from your early-tournament ineptitude. Genius. Pure, unadulterated, sport-changing selectorial genius.No tournament should be designed with an in-built likelihood of a lengthy period of fizzle-out
The group stages peaked on March 7. Pakistan, needing a victory to maintain control of their destiny, defeated South Africa in a thrilling showdown that culminated in a newly invigorated pace attack steaming in to the world’s finest batsman; then Ireland, also needing victory as a near-necessity rather than a pleasant incidental, rode some considerable donkeys of luck to hold off Zimbabwe in a thunderous classic of twists and controversy. There were still eight days of cricket until the end of the preliminary part of the tournament, four of which only featured one match. Of the 12 games played, only England v Bangladesh and Ireland against Pakistan were of decisive importance. Eight of the other ten had no major relevance.The people, machines and/or deities who designed this tournament have no concept of sporting drama. Or, if they do, they have suppressed it. There has been much in the first four weeks of this tournament to highlight how good a World Cup could be and should be, but these have been moments, not a continuous narrative. The final ten days will be compelling. It could have been a month-long epic of almost unremitting excitement.

South Africa fought hard after conceding 167, with Chloe Tryon leading the charge, but a regular loss of wickets put their chase off the rails

Valkerie Baynes30-Jul-2022

Suzie Bates brought out a number of innovative shots during the course of her 91 not out•Getty Images

Suzie Bates and Sophie Devine showcased all their experience and class as they led New Zealand to victory over South Africa at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham on Saturday. Bates led the charge with the bat with an unbeaten 91, while Devine first hit 48 and then picked up three wickets.Related

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The duo of Bates and Devine set the foundation for the win with a 99-run opening stand for New Zealand, who handed international caps to Izzy Gaze and Eden Carson, plus a T20I debut to Fran Jonas. Devine fell two runs shy of her half-century, but then got among the wickets, including her 100th in T20Is, becoming the first woman and second overall – Shakib Al Hasan is the other – with 100 wickets and 2000 runs in the format.A fighting 39 off just 17 balls from Chloe Tryon failed to get South Africa over the line despite fleeting hopes of a tight finish as their stuttering start and a steady stream of wickets proved costly.Devine intervention
It was Devine who made the early running at Edgbaston, racing to 35 off 20 balls as New Zealand ended the powerplay on 49 without loss after being asked to bat. She unleashed a stunning slog sweep behind square off Nonkululeko Mlaba for six and almost fell next ball attempting the same, but keeper Sinalo Jafta couldn’t gather a tough bottom edge.Devine took 14 off the next over, striking Ayabonga Khaka for two fours, before depositing a waist-high full-toss over the square-leg boundary. She eventually holed out to Tryon at long-on from the bowling of Mlaba, having faced 40 balls in which she hit four fours and two sixes.Sophie Devine became the first woman – and second overall – to record the double of 100 wickets and 2000 runs in T20Is•Associated Press

Bates plays a gem
Women’s cricket is making its debut at a multi-sport event, but Bates has been here before, so to speak, having represented New Zealand in basketball at the 2008 Olympics.When on 22, she hit Delmi Tucker straight to midwicket, where Khaka managed only to parry the ball overhead. Then there was a chance to run Bates out after she and Amelia Kerr both turned back, but Mignon du Preez pulled out of her throw, possibly concerned that Shabnim Ismail was in the way or that there was a lack of back-up despite Tryon being behind the stumps, albeit standing a fair way back.Bates had started slowly, but she picked up speed as she went along, and brought up fifty pushing Anneke Bosch to deep midwicket and running two. It was her 22nd half-century in T20Is but first since February 2019, during India’s tour of New Zealand.She smashed a thunderous cover drive off Ismail for four to move to 67 and, three balls later, scooped her for six. In the final over, Bates sent a Khaka full-toss over the fence at deep square-leg, and then heaved a four through mid-on, and swung the penultimate delivery over fine leg for another six – her third of the innings. A total of 18 runs came off the final over, but Kerr was run-out on the last ball. By then, Bates had achieved her highest score in T20Is since her unbeaten 124 against South Africa in the 2018 tri-nation series in England.Chloe Tryon scored a dashing 17-ball 39•Associated Press

South Africa’s woes continue
South Africa endured a rocky lead-up to this tournament, with a multi-format series in England in which they were swept in both the ODI and T20I legs 3-0.After Hayley Jensen had Bosch caught at cover by Bates in the second over, and Tazmin Brits hit Hannah Rowe straight to Brooke Halliday at midwicket, South Africa were 15 for 2 after four overs.Du Preez was yet to score when she was put down at backward point by Carson off Lea Tahuhu, but her attempted sweep off Kerr sailed to Jonas at backward square and she was out for 26. Laura Wolvaardt made 28 off 30 balls before she fell, caught by Bates, running around to mid-on, off the bowling of Devine.It wasn’t all doom and gloom for South Africa, as they cashed in on some short bowling. Wolvaardt and, in particular, Tryon, made merry. Tryon smashed three sixes and three fours during her innings, helping herself to 17 runs off one Tahuhu over, which went for 21 in all. Largely through her efforts, South Africa were two runs ahead of New Zealand after 15 overs. But when Sune Luus flicked Jensen off her pads towards short cover and then sent Tryon back, Jensen gathered on her follow-through and threw down the stumps at the non-strikers’ end with Tryon short of her ground. That left South Africa needing 52 runs off 27 balls.Devine had Tucker caught by Carson at third for her 100th T20I wicket, and then had Luus caught by Halliday, to claim her third for the match. And, from there, the task proved too much for South Africa.

Clatter of wickets at Hove gives hosts a chance but 341 target is already steep

ECB Reporters Network28-Jun-2022

Jack Brooks gathers the ball at the top of his mark•Getty Images

Derbyshire’s surprising decision not to enforce the follow-on against Sussex reduced their chances of winning a match they had dominated – and even gave their opponents an outside chance of pulling off an astonishing victory.When Sussex were bowled out for 337 in this LV= Insurance County Championship match, losing their last five wickets for 38 runs and their last three in the space of four Hayden Kerr deliveries to concede a first innings advantage of 214, they looked down and out and not relishing the prospect of being put back in.But Derbyshire decided to bat again and when they slumped to 54 for five, with Jack Brooks putting in a four-wicket burst, Sussex sensed the chance to pinch an outrageous win. Billy Godleman was well caught by Tom Alsop at first slip off Sean Hunt in the second over. That means the Derbyshire captain has 213 championship runs in 13 innings this season for an average of 16.38.Then Brooks stepped up. He had Brooke Guest lbw for eight before dismissing the first-innings hero Wayne Madsen first ball, caught behind. In his next over Brooks dismissed Leus du Plooy, who mis-cued to midwicket, and in his next over Shan Masood dragged a wide ball onto his stumps.Anuj Dal and Kerr fell near the close and Derbyshire closed on 127 for seven, a lead of 341. They are still favourites to win the game but Sussex can now see an escape route.Sussex had started the third day on 142 for three, chasing a target of 402 to avoid the follow-on, with Mohammad Rizwan unbeaten on 54 and the in-form Oli Carter 14. Carter was dropped at first slip by Madsen off Sam Connors when he had made 26. Madsen should be forgiven, even by the most impatient of Derbyshire supporters. In all forms of cricket he has taken 313 catches for the county, placing 13th in Derbyshire’s history – and seven of the 12 ahead of him were wicketkeepers.Carter, who had scored a career-best 185 and 83 in the county’s previous championship fixture against Glamorgan in Cardiff, went on to reach his half-century from 88 deliveries, with six fours. But then he was bowled going back when he might have been forward to one from the impressive Mark Watt, who was signed as a t20 player but who now appears to be the side’s number one red ball spinner.The spotlight on Rizwan was getting brighter with the fall of each wicket at the other end. And, making the most of the short boundary at the east side of the ground, he went on to reach his first championship century for Sussex from 172 balls, with 18 fours.Sussex lost their fifth wicket at 242 when Danial Ibrahim, half forward to one that turned from Watt, was bowled for six. Delray Rawlins is a lavishly talented player who has not always shown shown enough discipline for the red-ball game. But he scored a half-century in Cardiff and here, against the spinners, he sensibly mixed aggression with patience. However, when Derbyshire took the new ball at 295 for five he was undone almost immediately, bowled through the gate by Dal as he played a loose drive. His 37 from 57 balls, with six fours and a six, was not what Sussex required.Rizwan was lbw to Dal for a fine 130, with 22 fours, but the Sussex tail didn’t wag, as Steve Finn fell second ball and Hunt to his first delivery.

هناك الكثير من الجدل حول موعد إقامة مباراة نهائي كأس مصر بين الزمالك وبيراميدز والذي تم تحديده سابقًا في 20 مايو الحالي.

لكن بعد تأهل بيراميدز إلى نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا أمام صن داونز، تقدم السماوي بطلب إلى الاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم بتأجيل نهائي كأس مصر ضد الزمالك لما بعد يوم 1 يونيو.

ثم جاء عرض من جانب الاتحاد الإماراتي لكرة القدم باستضافة المباراة أحد يومي 5 أو 6 يونيو، وبالتالي من المتوقع أن تلعب المواجهة خارج مصر.

اقرأ أيضًا.. خاص | زيزو يضع شرطًا للمثول للتحقيق في الزمالك

ولكن التساؤل الأهم هو ما موقف الثلاثي نبيل عماد دونجا، مصطفى شلبي ومدير الكرة، عبد الواحد السيد خاصة مع أزمة حبسهم في الإمارات خلال فترة بطولة كأس السوبر المصري في أكتوبر الماضي؟.

قبل أن يتم الإفراج عنهم بعد تواصل المسئولين بين مصر والإمارات عقب نهاية البطولة، لكن هل سيسافر الثلاثي مع الفريق دون مشاكل؟.

تواصل بطولات مع مصدر داخل نادي الزمالك، وأكد: “لا مشكلة في سفر الثلاثي لخوض نهائي كأس مصر أمام بيراميدز”.

وتابع: “فالثلاثي حصلوا على عفو رئاسي من الإمارات ورحلوا بشكل طبيعي، ودليل على ذلك أن دونجا وأحمد فتوح تواجدا في دبي قبل أسبوعين لقضاء إجازة قصيرة دون أي مشكلات”.

وأتم: “لذلك لا مشكلة في سفر دونجا أو شلبي أو عبد الواحد مع بعثة الزمالك إلى الإمارات، وسيشاركون بشكل طبيعي”.

Celtic are looking to continue their impressive winning run in the 2024/25 campaign as they prepare to take on Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League tonight.

The Hoops travel away from Glasgow to take on the Bundesliga giants in Germany in an attempt to make it ten straight wins in all competitions this season.

Brendan Rodgers’ side swept Slovakian outfit Slovan aside with a 5-1 win at Parkhead in the first match of the league phase, thanks to goals from Arne Engels, Daizen Maeda, Liam Scales, Kyogo Furuhashi, and Adam Idah on the night.

Celtic have also won all six of their matches in the Scottish Premiership, and are yet to concede a goal in the division, which shows that they come into this clash with Dortmund in sensational form.

The Scottish giants are coming into the match directly off the back of a thumping 6-0 win away at St Johnstone in the Premiership on Saturday.

One player who must keep his place in the XI from that match, after a terrific performance in the middle of the park for Celtic, is central midfielder Paulo Bernardo.

Why Paulo Bernardo must start

The Portugal U21 international did not start in the 5-1 win over Slovan in the first matchday of the Champions League season, as Reo Hatate was selected ahead of him, but should be in the line-up for tonight’s game.

Signed on a permanent deal from Benfica in the summer, Bernardo has caught the eye when called upon so far this term and his displays in the Premiership suggest that he is deserving of a place in the starting XI.

The 22-year-old sensation started against St Johnstone and produced a goal and an assist from midfield, along with four chances created, in the 6-0 victory.

Starts

5

3

Key passes per game

1.5

2.0

Big chances created

4

3

Tackles + interceptions per game

1.5

3.4

Ground duel success rate

45%

59%

As you can see in the table above, Bernardo has outperformed Hatate as a defensive option in midfield whilst also offering a similar, if not greater, level of creativity.

In a big away match against a European giant, in Dortmund, Rodgers may need defensive nous from his midfielders and that is not what Hatate provides.

The central midfielder lost 100% of his duels against Slovan and has lost 55% of his ground duels in the Premiership, which suggests that Bernardo should be the man to start this evening.

Alongside the Portuguese wizard, Rodgers must finally unleash Adam Idah – who could benefit from the midfielder’s creative quality – from the start, and brutally ditch Kyogo Furuhashi from the XI.

Why Kyogo Furuhashi could be dropped

This may seem like an incredibly harsh decision on paper, after the Japanese forward scored two goals against St Johnstone on Saturday, but it is one that could suit Celtic in this particular match.

The Hoops are up against one of the giants of German football in a tough away game and that could mean that they see less of the ball than they do in the Premiership, or against Slovakian side Slovan last time out.

Kyogo’s game is not suited to holding the ball up and providing his team with an outlet in the centre-forward position when things are not going their way and they need an outball to keep hold of possession.

Appearances

6

Passes made per game

5.7

Ground duel success rate

31%

Aerial duel success rate

0%

Tackles + interceptions

0

As you can see in the table above, Kyogo does not get too involved in matches, with 5.7 passes per game, and struggles with physical duels against defenders, having lost the majority of his ground duels and all of his aerial contests.

His finishing has also left a lot to be desired at times this season. The Japan international has scored four goals in seven matches across the Premiership and Champions League, but has spurned a whopping 11 ‘big chances’ in that time.

With this in mind, Rodgers must ditch Kyogo from the starting XI for this tough away assignment in Europe and finally unleash Idah from the start this evening.

Why Adam Idah should start

The Ireland international offers a physical presence for the Scottish giants in the centre-forward position and could provide a fantastic outlet for the team to alleviate pressure tonight.

Standing at 6 foot 3, the summer signing from Norwich is an imposing figure at the top end of the pitch and has the physicality to compete well in duels.

He has won 50% of his ground duels and aerial battles in the Premiership so far this season, after winning 64% of his contests in the air during the 2023/24 Premiership campaign.

This shows that, unlike Kyogo, Idah can hold his own against defenders in the final third and can offer his teammates an outball to play the ball long to, knowing that he can win it on the ground or in the air to hold the ball up or flick it on.

However, the 23-year-old sensation, whose ability was hailed as “incredible” by Rodgers, does not just offer quality out of possession for the Hoops.

The former Norwich striker has showcased his clinical edge in front of goal in recent matches for Celtic, which suggests that he could also provide a huge threat at the top end of the pitch against Dortmund.

Appearances

15

4

Starts

5

1

Goals

8

1

Conversion rate

27%

33%

Big chances missed

7

1

As you can see in the table above, Idah has scored nine goals and missed eight ‘big chances’ in six Premiership starts for the Hoops this calendar year.

The Irishman has also racked up four goals in his last three appearances in all competitions, including two goals against Falkirk, one against Slovan, and one against St Johnstone, which suggests that the striker could thrive off the service that Bernardo can provide in the middle of the park – with his 2.0 key passes per game.

Idah scored off the bench against Slovan in the last Champions League game and should now be unleashed from the start for the first time in Europe, due to his physical and technical qualities.

Celtic wanted to sign £33m star in the making but ended up with Jullien

The Hoops were once interested in a permanent deal for the central defender.

ByDan Emery Sep 30, 2024

Wolves went crashing out of the EFL Cup on Wednesday night, losing 3-2 to Brighton at the Amex. That made it four losses from their opening six competitive matches this season, drawing once, and their only win coming against Championship opposition Burnley in the EFL Cup second round.

Wolves found themselves 2-0 down after 31 minutes, with Gonçalo Guedes scoring their first just before half-time. Brighton then went 3-1 up, before Wolves got a consolation late on, through Tommy Doyle.

Changes could be afoot for Gary O’Neil’s side, as they head to Villa Park on Saturday, looking for their first Premier League win of the season and three points.

Why Joao Gomes could be dropped

With Wolves only averaging 46% possession and an 80.8% pass accuracy, some added technical security could be of help for O’Neil’s side, especially in the midfield department.

Joao Gomes could be the man to make way, with new signing, Andre, completing 100% of his 40 passes in his first start against Newcastle, and Lemina starting in more of a hybrid role, to add duel capabilities.

Gomes made 38 appearances for Wolves last season, scoring two goals, providing one assist, and contributing to five clean sheets in his 2,865 minutes played. He’s still an important player but it could be worth testing a new dynamic in midfield to improve the side’s league form.

The man to replace Joao Gomes

Wolves have the perfect midfielder ready to unleash, with the “superb” Doyle, as labeled by Jacek Kulig. The 22-year-old put in a fantastic performance against Brighton in the EFL Cup a few days ago, winning nine of his 14 duels and completing three out of four dribbles.

Doyle also showed a progressive nature on the ball against Burnley in the second round of the EFL Cup, making three key passes, and completing 9/12 long balls, managing a 90% passing accuracy in the game.

Goals

0.40

0.00

Progressive Carries

2.00

1.67

Progressive Passes

16.0

4.44

Shots Total

1.60

0.70

Key Passes

4.00

0.00

Passes into Final Third

16.0

4.72

Passes into Pen Area

4.00

0.28

Tackles

0.00

4.44

Blocks

0.00

1.11

These metrics are from the start of this season, meaning it is based on very minimal minutes so far with Doyle playing 226 minutes, and Gomes playing 385 minutes. Most of the former’s minutes have come in the EFL Cup so far, whereas the Brazilian has played the majority in the Premier League, so this is also something to consider.

However, these stats still show the different types of player available to O’Neil when selecting his team, with Doyle offering far more progression in midfield via both passing and carrying, whilst Gomes offers that more box to box, duel winning archetype.

With Andre in the middle of the park, and Lemina perhaps staying in a hybrid midfield role, where he can contribute to duel-winning responsibilities, and position himself based on others, the addition of Doyle over Gomes would allow for more passing quality, allowing the likes of Matheus Cunha to stay higher up, and recieve the ball in more dangerous areas to affect the game.

Wolves star who had fewer touches than Sa must instantly be dropped

The Old Gold lost against Brighton in the EFL Cup

ByRoss Kilvington Sep 19, 2024

da doce： The chaos continues at Chelsea amid the growing chasm between Todd Boehly and Clearlake, yet on the field, it looks as if things are beginning to take shape under Enzo Maresca.

da fazobetai： While the Blues were held to a frustrating 1-1 draw at home to Crystal Palace last time out, Maresca's men were simply scintillating away at Molineux a week earlier, hitting six past a helpless Wolverhampton Wanderers side.

That eventual 6-2 thrashing saw talisman Cole Palmer get on the scoresheet once again while claiming a hat-trick of assists, with all three of those key passes teeing up his compatriot Noni Madueke – who took his account to four for the season in all competitions.

The former PSV Eindhoven starlet was duly rewarded for that strong start to the campaign with a first senior England call-up last week, before going on to make his presence felt on debut after registering an assist for Harry Kane's second against Finland on Tuesday night.

With his ex-England U21 boss Lee Carsley now at the helm, Madueke – who scored seven goals in 20 games at that age group – will be hoping to cement a regular place for himself in the Three Lions squad, having begun to find his feet following a tricky start to life in west London.

In stark contrast to the rising 22-year-old, one youngster who seemingly couldn't be any further from establishing himself for both Chelsea and the senior England side is Carney Chukwuemeka, with the former Aston Villa man now something of a forgotten figure at Stamford Bridge.

Chukwuemeka's record at Chelsea

Signed from Villa Park for a hefty fee in the region of £20m back in the summer of 2022, having been a mere teenager at the time, the now 20-year-old has endured a turbulent last two years in the capital, having struggled to cement a regular role for himself under a succession of managers.

To date, the promising playmaker has made just 27 appearances in all competitions for the club, while registering just two goals and a solitary assist in that time – hardly an inspiring return.

Hampered by a string of injuries ever since making the move from the Midlands – having made just 16 first-team appearances for the Villans – Chukwuemeka has had to endure a stop-start stint at the Bridge, with it difficult to see that situation changing any time soon.

While the suggestion is – as per The Athletic – that the midfielder will be reintegrated into Maresca's bloated first-team squad, the Italian did previously hint that the £20m man may find it difficult to gain regular minutes if he were to stay put at the club.

With interest looming from clubs in Turkey, it would be wise for Boehly and co to sanction his departure, ensuring that a costly figure is shifted from the wage bill.

Chukwuemeka's wage at Chelsea

Yet to feature at all so far this season across all fronts, the Austrian-born talent will face a real fight for game time if he does stay put until January, with the likes of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia already battling for those midfield berths.

The prospect of Chukwuemeka wasting away on the bench or even in the stands on a weekly basis is far from the ideal situation for all parties, particularly considering the financial impact it would have were he to remain in Maresca's ranks.

Wage Burners

Football FanCast's Wage Burners series explores the salaries of the modern-day game.

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As per Capology, the England youth international is said to be raking in an eye-watering £100k-per-week salary, placing him alongside the likes of Levi Colwill, Mykhailo Mudryk and Jadon Sancho who also take home the same wage.

For comparison, the aforementioned Madueke is reported to be on just £50k-per-week at present, despite the fact that the one-time Tottenham Hotspur academy asset is now a valued first-team presence under the former Leicester City boss.

Carney Chukwuemeka

While far from being the highest earner at the club, the fact that Chukwuemeka – through no fault of his own, it must be said – is taking home such a mammoth pay packet is rather head-scratching, with a solution needing to be found sooner rather than later.

In an ideal world, the 6 foot 2 ace would go out and enjoy a temporary stint elsewhere to help reinvigorate his career, while in a financial sense, any interested party could potentially take on a share of his salary.

Chukwuemeka's 2023/24 PL season in numbers

9 games (2 starts)

1 goal

1 assist

19.4 touches per game

0 'big chances' created

0.4 key passes per game

86% pass accuracy

0.7 tackles per game

1.2 balls recovered per game

0.2 successful dribbles per game

33% total duels won

Stats via Sofascore

Equally, if the club could recoup anywhere close to the £20m fee that they paid for him initially via a permanent exit, that would also seemingly be a wise decision to take.

With limited windows still open across the globe, however, time is running out for either scenario to occur…

Related Granovskaia sold Chelsea star for £34m, now he's worth just £12m

The club conducted excellent business in offloading the talent.

Posts ByEthan Lamb Sep 11, 2024

Ruben Amorim admitted his Manchester United side were lacking in quality as they slid to a 3-2 home defeat against Nottingham Forest.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Portuguese honest after Old Trafford defeat
• Coach has four PL points from four games
• 'We started really bad', admits new boss

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  United conceded the first goal in just the second minute after slack marking from Lisandro Martinez from a corner, while Andre Onana was at fault when Morgan Gibbs-White restored Forest's lead in the second minute of the second period following Rasmus Hojlund's equaliser. The goalkeeper was caught flapping at Chris Wood's header which proved to be the eventual winner, with Bruno Fernandes pulling one back for the Red Devils before being taken off.

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• WHAT AMORIM SAID

  Amorim told : "Tough game. We started really bad, the first play we suffered a goal and then it's hard to try to fight. We then controlled the game and had a lot of situations. We improved the movement in the last third. We managed to draw the game and then at half-time we were ready to go for the win and then started really bad. Two goals. Then we tried a lot of things with not a lot of quality. We didn't have many situations to score."

• AFP
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Amorim got off a strong start as United boss, winning two of his first three games since succeeding Erik ten Hag but following the defeats at Arsenal and against Forest, he now he has just four points from his first Premier League matches – as many as the Dutchman earned from his final four league games in charge. The Portuguese said: "Tough game in a tough moment but we have to continue the job. This is a long journey. We are improving in some aspects. We have to win games to help us improve the team. We are in the start of something so big that we pay attention to every detail. We already know it's a big job so we have to continue."

• DID YOU KNOW?

  This was Amorim's first home defeat in a league game since February 2023 and only the second time he has lost successive league games in his entire coaching career. He said: "I had this and worse at Sporting in the beginning. You know Sporting in Portugal but in Manchester you have a lot of attention, but for me it is the same feeling. This happens to a lot of clubs and we have to continue improving the team because this will turn around."

MatériaMais Notícias

da heads bet： Nem mesmo a liminar da Justiça de Alagoas que pedia a suspensão da Assembleia Geral realizada nesta quarta-feira (23) deixa Ednaldo Rodrigues preocupado quanto à possibilidade de uma reviravolta em relação à eleição na CBF. Confirmado mandatário da entidade pelos próximos quatro anos (até 23 de março de 2026), ele destacou.

da esoccer bet： – Estávamos aqui cumprindo uma decisão judicial, de modo que foi feito um TAC (Termo de Ajustamento de Condutas) e todas as federações e os membros da Assembleia aprovaram o TAC visando dar fim a um problema judiciário que existia na CBF desde 2017. Portanto, de uma forma transparente e de uma forma legal, cumprindo inclusive uma decisão da Justiça brasileira – declarou.

A eleição desta quarta-feira é fruto do acordo selado pela CBF com o Ministério Público do Rio de Janeiro, que desde 2017 contestava as regras eleitorais da entidade. Após a assinatura de um TAC (Termo de Ajustamento de Conduta), homologado pela Justiça do Rio, novas regras foram definidas.

Houve a manutenção do peso dos votos (as federações têm peso 3, enquanto clubes da Série A têm peso 2 e da Série B têm peso 1). Porém, a cláusula de barreira para candidaturas foi reduzida. Em vez do apoio de oito federações e cinco clubes da Série A serem necessários para registrar uma chapa, atualmente são número caiu para quatro federações e quatro clubes.

Candidato único, Ednaldo teve voto de 26 federações (apenas Alagoas não votou), 20 clubes da Série A e 19 equipes da Série B (a procuração enviada pela Ponte Preta foi considerada irregular). A soma deu 137 votos.