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During the World Cup earlier this year, Quinton de Kock created a mild furore by saying the atmosphere during his IPL 2019 win with Mumbai Indians was more emotionally intense than the one during South Africa’s semi-final defeat in the World Cup in 2015. Blasphemy, cried those who support international cricket over leagues, national flags over similar-looking jerseys. Blown out of proportion, said those who had heard the question, which related to emotional atmosphere at a ground and not the value of a tournament or a match.A couple of months later, on the eve of South Africa’s T20I against India in Mohali, de Kock was given an opportunity to clarify what he meant.”What must I say?” It is the biggest thing I have won so far. I haven’t won a World Cup,” de Kock said as a matter of fact. “So obviously once I win a World Cup, if I do, that will be the biggest ever thing I have done in my career. So far it is an IPL. I had played for a couple of teams but had never made the play-offs before. I played for Mumbai, we made the final and we won. So obviously it is a big achievement for any cricketer. There are so many things that cricketers these days want to be part of. They want to win IPL finals. They want to be part of World Cup finals and win them. Personally it’s different for everyone. Everyone has their opinions. My opinion is mine. Their opinion is theirs. For me that’s the biggest thing I have achieved so far.”The IPL final could not be accused of being dull. Played in front of a raucous crowd, the match involved a successful defence of eight runs in the final over. De Kock was in the thick of him: taking a catch, effecting a run-out, but also conceding four byes off a Jasprit Bumrah hand grenade. The World Cup semi-final was a similarly close affair, but New Zealand beat South Africa in that heart-breaking finish. As a wicketkeeper, de Kock was in the thick of it again, taking a superlative catch to send back Ross Taylor but missing the run-out of Grant Elliott, who eventually took New Zealand home.

England fans have been left angered by reports that Gareth Southgate will play Kieran Trippier at left wing-back against Netherlands on Wednesday.

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Trippier to start against NetherlandsEngland fans angered by Southgate callShaw declared himself fit to playWHAT HAPPENED?

Sky Sports journalist Rob Dorsett reported on Tuesday evening that Southgate's plan is to keep left-back Luke Shaw on the bench when the Three Lions line up in the Euro 2024 semi-final, instead picking right-back Trippier to start on that side once again.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT THE FANS ARE SAYING

A host of Three Lions fans expressed their confusion and anger at the notion of seeing Trippier keep his position with Shaw stuck on the bench.

"Fair play Gareth you've screwed us AGAIN," wrote one fan on X, while another, Ashley Allen said: "Another odd choice! Play him for 60 minutes, even half fit he’s a much better option for us than a right back playing there."

"Nah this ain’t the one. Balance was immediately better when he came in the other day," said Ben, echoing the thoughts of another fan, Paul, who claimed: "Trippier got skinned several times against [Switzerland]! Completely unbalanced when he plays."

The news outraged a few others, including Cam, who said: "I hate Southgate so much it hurts," while Andy joked that the player had some incriminating evidence to ensure the manager keeps picking him, saying: "Trippier deffo has Nudes of Southgate. There is no other explanation he starts . Hes prob been the worst player of the entire tournament. Embarrassing."

"Trippier was the weak link ..f*ck sake Southgate," a post from Mark read, and Davie Camfield asked: "Why not play Shaw for however long he can last then and then bring Trippier on?"

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Trippier has started on the left side in every match of Euro 2024 so far as Shaw was not fit when the tournament kicked off. The Manchester United full-back made his first appearance in Germany when he came off the bench to replace the Newcastle man in the second half of the quarter-final win against Switzerland on Saturday.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR ENGLAND?

Despite Shaw's assertion that he is fit to start in the midweek clash, Southgate appears to have decided against bringing him into the line up. The England manager will hope his call pays off when his team meet Ronald Koeman's side in Dortmund.

In January all of the talk surrounding Arsenal was dominated by their need for a striker. They ended the window without strengthening whatsoever. Where is Ivan Toney? Where is Victor Osimhen? Those were the cries from various parts of the Emirates Stadium.

Well, striker? What striker? Arsenal look like they don't even need one now. The Gunners have banished their attacking demons that encased them at the beginning of the year and have supercharged their season with two mightily impressive wins on the trot.

Beating Liverpool last weekend sent a message about their title chances but their 6-0 romp of West Ham United at the London Stadium on Sunday afternoon was even more remarkable.

This is a side who had beaten Mikel Arteta's side twice already this season, a team who had defeated them at this stadium last term as well, but there were no such issues on this occasion, far from it.

A brace from Bukayo Saka, two set-piece headers from Gabriel and William Saliba, a lovely curling effort from Leandro Trossard and then Declan Rice, back on his old stomping ground, thrashed home a strike from range to ensure their biggest away win in Premier League history.

Declan Rice's performance in numbers

Sunday afternoon was always going to be about a certain Rice. Sold in the summer for a mega £105m fee by the Irons, he was surprisingly booed by the West Ham support in the early stages of the first half.

The best way to respond? Well, claiming two assists and scoring an incredible goal will do pretty nicely.

Was this the midfielder's best performance of the campaign? Perhaps, but he hardly needed to get out of second gear. It was his corner that was met by Saliba to open the scoring and then his dipping free-kick from wide on the left-hand side that Gabriel met to put Arsenal in the ascendency in the first half.

To make matters worse for a London Stadium crowd who had admired their former captain for so long, he then rounded it off with one of the best goals of his career to date. A marker of the man, he refused to celebrate.

Ben White – back to his best at right-back – supplied the goal, pulling the ball back towards Trossard and Martin Odegaard. They both got in each other's way but it didn't matter. Rice ran onto it and fizzed an effort beyond Alphonse Areola to make it six. Sumptuous stuff.

That said, it was arguably that man Odegaard who deserved the Man of the Match award.

Martin Odegaard's performance in numbers

Since Granit Xhaka departed Arsenal over the summer their club captain, Odegaard, has rather struggled.

Why? Well, because he's been the only man really pulling any sort of creative strings from the middle of the park. We know Rice is supposedly the man to stay back but in Kai Havertz he's had an inconsistent figure next to him.

As a result, the Norwegian has had to adapt his play style. After nine league games of the current season, he had registered just two assists and found himself arguably with a lack of space to work with. Combine that with Arsenal's dodgy finishing record and you could hardly blame him for his lack of output.

Thankfully he has improved over recent outings, playing in a deeper role than we are perhaps accustomed to. Playing next to Rice on Sunday, Odegaard delivered his best display of the 2023/24 season yet with a complete midfield performance.

He registered two assists, his first in Arsenal colours in 2024, created two big chances and supplied seven key passes. From their creative magician, this is precisely what the doctor ordered.

No player completed more than the captain's 107 passes at the London Stadium this weekend, while no player had more than his 121 touches. This was total dominance from Odegaard, a man who also won 100% duels throughout the contest.

It was no surprise, therefore, to see analyst and former academy coach Davion Ferguson describe it as the 25-year-old's "most complete performance in an Arsenal shirt."

It is hard to disagree with such a statement. This was a creative masterclass and something Arteta will need again if the north Londoners are to walk away with the title in May.

Mumbai allrounder Shivam Dube has earned himself a maiden India call-up, figuring in the squad for the three-T20I series against Bangladesh at home in November. Kerala wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson has got a recall, having played his only previous international game – a T20I against Zimbabwe in Harare – back in July 2015.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Regular captain Virat Kohli has been rested for the T20I series, and MS Dhoni continues to be absent. Rohit Sharma will lead the team in the T20Is.ALSO READ: We are moving on’ – India’s chief selector MSK Prasad on MS DhoniThe three games will be played from November 3 to 10 in Delhi, Rajkot and Nagpur. The T20I squad also saw the return of Shardul Thakur and Yuzvendra Chahal. Thakur returned to the international fold after a year and replaced Navdeep Saini. Prasad confirmed both Saini and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who also missed the South Africa T20Is, weren’t available because of fitness issues.Kohli is, however, a part of the squad for the two Tests – Indore (November 14 to 18) and Kolkata (November 22 to 26) – and will lead a side featuring the first-choice 15 from the recent series against South Africa at home. Shahbaz Nadeem, who replaced an injured Kuldeep Yadav for the final match of that series for his Test debut, was left out with the left-arm wristspinner fit for action again.”The selection committee and all of us, Virat [Kohli], we were all convinced with Nadeem and with his performances in domestic cricket,” chief selector MSK Prasad said after announcing the squads in Mumbai. “So we had drafted him into the squad when Kuldeep Yadav had an injury on his shoulder. With the opportunities that we have given to Nadeem, he has really excelled. But the fact remains that we have to go back to Kuldeep, he is our premier bowler in the squad.”Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya didn’t feature in either squad following their respective surgeries in the UK earlier this month for back injuries.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Pandya’s absence, in particular, opened the doors for Dube’s inclusion in the shortest format, Prasad said. “You can see, earlier we had Hardik Pandya, then we also tried Vijay Shankar. All of us in unison, along with captain Rohit, felt that [given] the role that he has to deliver, Shivam Dube fits in much better. Because he really bats aggressively, extremely well. His performances in the India A series in West Indies and also against South Africa A in the ODIs was phenomenal. I think he has gone up by leaps and bounds with regards to his skillset and we were very, very much convinced about it.”Pant has been the heir to Dhoni, who hasn’t featured in any international fixture since India’s exit from the 50-over World Cup earlier this year. Prasad clarified Samson was also picked as a back-up wicketkeeper and it’s possible both Pant and Samson will be seen in the playing XI in Kohli’s absence as Prasad said Samson will “definitely play at the top”.”[Samson] comes in as a batsman who can keep wicket. Samson was there in the Indian T20 team 4-5 years ago. His problem was inconsistency. In the last one year or so, he has had a fantastic IPL followed by a good domestic and India A series against South Africa. And he had a wonderful Vijay Hazare as well. He is more consistent now and that is the reason we thought of drafting him in the squad.”We’re looking at younger options after the World Cup, so you can understand our thought process. We definitely had a chat with Dhoni and he also endorses our view of backing youngsters,” Prasad said of 22-year-old Pant and 24-year-old Samson.Samson finished the recent Vijay Hazare Trophy with an average of 58.57 and strike rate of 125 largely on the back of an unbeaten 212 off 129 balls he smashed against Goa.Ravindra Jadeja missed out because the selectors deemed that he offers the same skills as Krunal Pandya in the format. Prasad didn’t rule out a return, however. “At some point, both of them [Jadeja and Krunal] will play together and we will see how each of them progresses.”On the Test front, Shubman Gill, who was a back-up opener for the South Africa Test series, retained his spot and will only feature in India’s Test plans for now.”He’s an exceptionally talented cricketer but you can only pick 15 right?” And it’s only a three-match [T20I] series. Going forward he will definitely be one of our key players in all formats,” Prasad said.T20I squad: Rohit Sharma (capt), Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Sanju Samson (wk), Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Rishabh Pant (wk), Washington Sundar, Krunal Pandya, Yuzvendra Chahal, Rahul Chahar, Deepak Chahar, Khaleel Ahmed, Shivam Dube, Shardul ThakurTest squad: Virat Kohli (capt), Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant (wk)

أعلنت اللجنة المنظمة لبطولة كأس السوبر المصري، عن أفضل لاعب في المباراة النهائية التي أقيمت بين القطبين الأهلي والزمالك، اليوم الخميس.

الأهلي واجه الزمالك، في نهائي بطولة كأس السوبر المصري المقام في الإمارات، نجح في الفوز بركلات الترجيح 7-6 بعد انتهاء اللقاء في وقته الأصلي والإضافي بالتعادل السلبي.

وحقق النادي الأهلي بطولة السوبر المصري، للمرة الخامسة عشر في تاريخه.

طالع.. فيديو | في مباراة ماراثونية.. الأهلي يهزم الزمالك ويتوج بلقب كأس السوبر المصري

وتم اختيار محمد الشناوي حارس مرمى النادي الأهلي، الأفضل في المباراة النهائية لبطولة كأس السوبر المصري.

محمد الشناوي كان قد نجح في التصدي لركلتي جزاء أمام الزمالك، من شيكابالا وحمزة المثلوثي. ركلات ترجيح الأهلي والزمالك في نهائي السوبر المصري

He also advocates making pace-friendly pitches in the Caribbean to encourage quicks

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Oct-2019

Darren Bravo was dropped from West Indies’ squad for the one-off Test against Afghanistan, but former fast bowler and current commentator Michael Holding believes the left-hand batsman is “too talented to be left out”.ALSO READ – West Indies selector Roger Harper backs Bravo to return to Test sideHolding’s endorsement comes after chief selector Roger Harper also backed Bravo to return to the side.”I would tell him to find something that works. If he has a technical problem – and I don’t know if that is the case – I would tell him to find someone and get it sorted,” Holding said on the podcast this week. “If it’s just a matter of going through a bad rut and you don’t know exactly what the problem is, again find someone who is highly qualified and skilful enough to look at you and suggest something that may be going wrong and try and get it sorted.”Bravo still has a central contract, having been awarded an all-format deal in July.”Him being out of the team, I hope he will not take it personally and won’t be upset,” Holding added. “I just read that Jonny Bairstow was left out of the England team, and I also read that the chairman of the selectors and another selector actually went to visit him and sat down and talked to him. I hope that they will do the same thing for Darren Bravo. He is too skilful and talented a player to just be washed up on the shore. He is too talented to be left out.”Holding also advocated for West Indies going back to their traditional strength of fast bowling, and supporting upcoming pace bowlers by preparing pitches accordingly. He cited India’s example, and their recent stock of pace bowling riches, to emphasise his point.”I would hope that the pitches in the Caribbean will be prepared to encourage fast bowlers,” Holding said. “Because if you don’t have pitches that encourage fast bowlers, you’re going to struggle. Look at India. They have started [to] prepare different pitches over the last six-seven years, and they’ve started to produce a lot of fast bowlers. And they are now winning series away from home. That is what you need.”Look at the quickest pitches renowned in the Caribbean – Jamaica and Barbados. Where have most of the Caribbean fast bowlers come from? Jamaica and Barbados. In recent times, a few more have been coming out of Antigua. But Trinidad have not produced a lot. Ian Bishop definitely would have been a great but for injury. Colin Croft was from Guyana. But those flat pitches that don’t encourage people to run in and work hard, will not produce fast bowlers. So one would hope that pitches that have good pace and bounce will be prepared in that manner so that we can encourage our youngsters to bowl fast.”

Spain talisman Rodri has urged his team-mates to "control" one England player during this Sunday's Euro 2024 final.

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• Spain face England on Sunday
• Both sides 90 minutes from glory
• Rodri concerned about one England star

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Rodri and his Spain team-mates beat France in their semi-final to set up their final clash with England, who overcame Netherlands. The Manchester City midfielder has been vital to his side's push for the trophy, but he is concerned about the talent of Phil Foden, with whom he plays at the Etihad Stadium.

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  Foden has struggled at times during the tournament but he was outstanding in the semi-final, hitting the post, and drifting in and out of pockets of space. He was substituted late on, before Ollie Watkins scored his superb winner, but Rodri insists he has the talent required to hurt Spain.

• WHAT RODRI SAID

  When asked which England player he would prefer not to come up against, Rodri replied: "They have a lot of them. I love Phil Foden because I know him, he's with me," per AS.

  "He's a player who has to be kept under control because he has an innate ability to move in a small space. But there are many players who can do a lot of damage.

  "I don't like to focus on one player. I like to take a complete picture of England. And we go with our weapons, one on one."

  Rodri will also come up against John Stones and Kyle Walker and added: "I know them well, I know the culture of English football perfectly. They have a very talented team, players who can unbalance and who can control all aspects of the game.

  "They defend well, they can attack you, they are good at set pieces. We have to work on how to hurt them. We have our weapons, we are confident that we can beat them."

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  WHAT NEXT?

  England have reached their second successive European Championship final and will aim to end 58 years of hurt for the men's side on Sunday. Spain last won the competition in 2012.

Ahead of his second summer transfer window in charge of the club, Ange Postecoglou will look to make his mark once more on Tottenham Hotspur, which could see a midfield reinforcement arrive.

Tottenham transfer news

The Lilywhites have already been linked with a number of players ahead of the summer, with Pedro Neto and Jarrard Branthwaite at the forefront of that. Those in north London will hope to take advantage of Everton's financial situation to win the race for Branthwaite's signature. Daniel Levy has, of course, proven his willingness to back Postecoglou since last summer and could do so again in the coming months.

Ange could unleash "lightning" Spurs star after Richarlison blow

Ange Postecoglou’s side must secure victory this afternoon as they chase down top four.

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As things stand, Spurs are yet to fully cement their place in the Premier League's top four under the former Celtic boss, with surprise package Aston Villa keeping them and others out. If the north London club end the season without Champions League qualification once more, then the pressure will undoubtedly be on Postecoglou to get the summer transfer window right.

That could include matters on the departure front, too, with the likes of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg potentially getting a move away having already been linked with departing in the past. If the midfielder is on his way out, then Spurs will need a replacement – and that's where Morten Hjulmand could come in.

According to Portuguese outlet Record (via Sport Witness), Spurs are building towards a move for Hjulmand after scouting the Sporting CP midfielder in the last few weeks. Club officials were reportedly in attendance for Sporting's last game – a Taca de Portugal semi-final clash against Benfica – as Hjulmand played a part in his side's 2-1 victory to take a first-leg lead.

Sporting will reportedly prove to be tough negotiators, however, given that they're currently not interested in selling the 24-year-old amid the prospect of already losing star striker Viktor Gyokeres this summer.

"Leader" Hjulmand can replace Hojbjerg

As one Dane potentially departs, another could arrive at Spurs this summer as the Lilywhites look to replace Hojbjerg. The former Southampton man was linked with a move away in January before failing to seal a departure. Giving Spurs time to find a replacement, they now look likely to turn to Hjulmand, who has proven this season that he is perfectly capable of stepping into his compatriot's boots.

What's more, Hjulmand is still just 24 years old and should be on the verge of entering his best years as a midfielder, meaning that there's no better time for Spurs to strike than this summer. It is a rise that Zach Lowy certainly saw coming, having praised the midfielder last year as a fine "leader", posting on X:

That said, as the summer transfer window approaches, Hjulmand will be one to watch with Spurs seemingly building towards their move for the midfielder.

Aston Villa have reportedly stolen a march on Arsenal, Chelsea & Bayern Munich to snap £50m-rated Everton star Amadou Onana.

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Villa swoop in for OnanaReady to shell out £50million for the BelgianHave agreed personal terms with the playerWHAT HAPPENED?

According to the 22-year-old Belgian is on the brink of completing a move to Villa Park, with the transfer fee expected to be around £50 million ($65m). Personal terms have already been agreed upon, paving the way for a long-term contract with the Midlands club.

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Onana has emerged as a crucial target for Villa manager Unai Emery, who is keen to bolster his squad ahead of their Champions League campaign next season. The young midfielder is said to be excited about the prospect of working with Emery and joining his ambitious project at Aston Villa.

DID YOU KNOW?

Since he arrived from Lille in the summer of 2022 for £30 million ($39m), Onana has become a pivotal player for Everton. He has made 72 appearances for the club, including 37 in the previous season across all competitions, which highlights that he is one of the most trusted lieutenants of Sean Dyche. His consistent performances have not gone unnoticed, attracting interest from several European giants like Arsenal and Bayern. However, the French outfit are entitled to 20 per cent of the profit from any future sale, which means the Toffees will not have the entire pie to show in their accounting books.

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WHAT NEXT?

Villa have been active in the transfer market, particularly in strengthening their midfield. The club has already signed Enzo Barrenechea from Juventus and Ross Barkley from Luton Town. However, the impending signing of Onana is set to be another major coup as they aim to compete among the best in Europe next season.

If you had told the Aston Villa faithful that their club would be in contention to qualify for the Champions League this season, they would have simply laughed.

What was once a dream could now become reality, with Unai Emery leading the side to the world’s most prestigious club competition, with the Villans sitting fourth after 27 games.

However, it isn’t just the present that the Spaniard is looking to impact, with Villa’s recent activity in the transfer market suggesting that he’s looking towards the future.

In January, Villa acquired multiple outfield signings aged 21 and below – such as Morgan Rogers – but it’s a purchase before the current boss’ time at the club that could be next up – and even become the next John McGinn.

John McGinn’s season so far

The Scotland international has gone to a whole new level this season under Emery, taking to his new role as an inverted left midfielder extremely well.

McGinn has started every single Villa game in the league this season, playing 86 minutes on average per game, providing excellent leadership, and setting the example with the captain's armband on.

The 29-year-old is known for the energy and effort he brings each week without fail, but he has started to affect the game much more in the final third, netting six goals and providing three assists in the Premier League.

He is irreplaceable at Villa, and what he brings to the team is so priceless. Since the injury to Boubacar Kamara, the former Hibernian gem has dropped into a defensive role alongside Douglas Luiz, showing that he is versatile and, above all, that he’s willing to do anything to help his side out.

Kyrie Pierre could be a future star

In 2021, Villa signed an incredibly talented 15-year-old from Bristol Rovers, named Kyrie Pierre, for a fee of around £200k.

At the time of his signature for his new club, his old academy coach, Chris Hargreaves, was full of compliments regarding the young star, saying he had “similarities” to a certain Ollie Watkins, whom he had previously worked with at Exeter City:

"They’ve got that same energy on the pitch, which is infectious, and a belief they can go and do it."

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast's In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

The now-18-year-old – who has been described as "highly-rated" by journalist Ashley Preece – has played plenty of games in the academy at U18 and U23 level, racking up 55 appearances in total with a record of ten goal contributions.

Pierre is versatile, and he can play across the midfield, which makes him extremely similar to McGinn, who’s played mainly as a left midfielder. The youngster has primarily played on the wing this season, but last year he started most matches as a central midfielder.

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It seems as though Pierre could become the perfect successor to McGinn, and Emery may plan to slowly introduce the number 70 into the first team setup in the near future.

The attitude and professionalism of Watkins – who boasts 33 goal involvements this season – and the versatility of McGinn make him a player to certainly keep an eye on.