An accomplished century from Rob Yates led Warwickshire’s resistance of an impressive Durham seam attack on the second day of the LV= Insurance County Championship match at Edgbaston.Academy product Yates struck 102 (239 balls, 11 fours) but Durham ended the day ascendant after bowling the Group A leaders out for 237.The 21-year-old added 56 with Pieter Malan and 74 with Sam Hain as the Bears reached a solid 221 for 4, but the bowlers stuck to their task to take the last six wickets for 16 runs in 52 balls. Ben Stokes took 3 for 55, his first championship wickets since July 2018, and Ben Raine 3 for 51. Durham then replied with 20 for 1 in seven overs before the close.After Durham chose to bowl, a superb new-ball spell from Matty Potts brought the wicket of England’s Dom Sibley when a rapid leg-cutter took the edge through to wicketkeeper Ned Eckersley.Yates and Malan (31, 51 balls, five fours) saw off the new ball before the latter tickled a leg-side delivery from Brydon Carse to the keeper.Related

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Hain and Yates batted assiduously to add 74 in 35 overs. Yates drove Raine to the cover boundary to pass 50 from 131 balls but Hain departed for 30 (98 balls, two fours) when he paddled a short ball from Stokes to short fine leg.With England head scout James Taylor among the onlookers, Yates reached his century from 238 balls with 11 fours – his fourth first-class century, all of which have come at Edgbaston. The crowd gave him the warmest of ovations and shared his disappointment when, next ball, he fell lbw to Raine.In the final session, Durham dabbled in left field when Eckersley shed the keeper’s pads to deliver an over of enigmatic off spin. Its fiendish variations did not bring a wicket but clearly scrambled the minds of the batting side which promptly fell in a heap.Will Rhodes (39, 88 balls, six fours) clipped Chris Rushworth to square leg, Matt Lamb chipped Stokes to fine leg and Rushworth was rewarded for a highly optimistic lbw appeal against Michael Burgess.Stokes took a sharp return catch from Danny Briggs and then, in murky light, Raine polished off the innings with two wickets in five balls as Craig Miles and Ryan Sidebottom edged behind.Miles soon struck when Durham replied, his ninth ball striking Michael Jones’ middle stump.

Tottenham Hotspur and technical director Johan Lange by extension are ready to green-light an exit for a "key" £60 million player this summer.

Players who could be sold or loaned out by Spurs

A succession of players have already departed N17, either on loan or temporarily, as Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou attempts to rebuild the squad ahead of the Australian's second full season in charge.

Tottenham in constant talks with 149-goal striker who'll cost Levy £20m

He’s been in fine form for years.

1

By
Emilio Galantini

Jul 19, 2024

Ryan Sessegnon, Japhet Tanganga, Eric Dier and Ivan Perisic were first out the door at Tottenham, following the expiry of their contracts at N17, with Spurs also electing to terminate Tanguy Ndombele's contract one year before it was due to expire.

The former club-record signing has since joined OGC Nice in Ligue 1, and Wales international defender Joe Rodon soon followed Ndombele. The centre-back put pen to paper on a £10 million move to Leeds, as English sensation Archie Gray moved in the opposite direction for around £40 million.

Tottenham's best-performing players in the Premier League last season
Son Heung-min	7.30
James Maddison	7.17
Pedro Porro	7.05
Cristian Romero	7.04
Dejan Kulusevski	7.03
Ratings via WhoScored

A few more players could be set to join the aforementioned players in seeking pastures new. Indeed, uncertainty currently surrounds the likes of Giovani Lo Celso and Bryan Gil, with both men scarcely getting a chance under Postecoglou last season.

Meanwhile, both Milan and Borussia Dortmund have been chasing a deal for Emerson Royal, who was forced to play second-fiddle to Pedro Porro for the majority of 2023/24 – or fill in for injured first-teamers in makeshift roles.

There is also the matter of striker Richarlison. The Brazilian, who's reportedly attracting interest from Saudi Arabia and PIF, actually finished last campaign as Tottenham's second-highest goalscorer in all competitions.

He chalked up 12 goals and registered another four assists, largely due to an impressive mid-season purple patch, but Tottenham remain in the market for a prolific new striker to replace Harry Kane regardless. The Lilywhites' rumoured hunt for a centre-forward casts doubt on Richarlison's future, with HITC now providing an update on the 27-year-old.

Lange ready to green-light Tottenham exit for Richarlison

The outlet backs Saudi interest in the former Everton star, and they go one step further by writing that Tottenham are ready to green-light Richarlison's sale this summer.

It's added that they would want £60 million to reach a deal, which is the same price they paid to bring the "key" forward from Goodison Park two years ago. Richarlison has personally told the Saudi Pro League he'd be open to joining one of their clubs as well, so it's a move that could get his approval.

The South American endured a regrettable first full season under Antonio Conte at Spurs, but rediscovered his best form in flashes last season working with Postecoglou.

All in all, Richarlison has racked up 15 goals and eight assists across 66 appearances in all competitions since putting pen to paper on a move from Merseyside.

Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham has admitted he felt that he was made 'the scapegoat' throughout England's ill-fated Euro 2024 campaign.

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Bellingham 'lost smile' after Euro 2024 final lossWas being made 'the scapegoat'Bellingham will be in action for Real against LiverpoolFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Expectations were high around England heading into Euro 2024, and Bellingham specifically, as he went into the tournament on the back of a dream debut season in Spain with Real Madrid. He won the Champions League and La Liga with Los Blancos and was the club's second-highest scorer with 23 goals in the 2023-24 season.

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The English star got off to a flying start in the European Championship as he scored the only goal in the Three Lions' tournament opener against Serbia. He also scored the last-gasp equaliser against Slovakia with an overhead kick which helped his team avoid elimination from the round of 16. Bellingham provided the assist for Cole Palmer in the final, too, but he was regularly criticised for his overall performances in Germany. Bellingham felt he was being made "the scapegoat" for England's struggles and revealed he lost his smile while representing the national team.

WHAT JUDE BELLINGHAM SAID

Speaking to reporters, the 21-year-old said: "I lost my smile a lot playing for England after the Euros as I felt I was a little mistreated compared to what I contributed. [The] smile is back [now]. I think it was a bit harsh on me. I felt a bit like the scapegoat.

"Maybe I felt a bit sorry for myself. I felt I contributed some pretty big moments, but it felt like the whole world was crumbling down on me, especially in the three days after the final. It wasn't a nice feeling."

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR JUDE BELLINGHAM?

The England international has returned to his homeland for Real Madrid's upcoming mega Champions League encounter against Liverpool on Wednesday at Anfield.

With Liverpool's search for a midfielder heating up, they've also reportedly turned their attention towards finding a replacement for Joel Matip and now appreciate a player Crystal Palace have eyed to fill the potential void left by Marc Guehi.

Liverpool transfer news

The Reds have finally burst into life in the summer transfer window, stealing the spotlight with their pursuit of Real Sociedad's Martin Zubimendi. The central midfielder would complete Liverpool's rebuild in the middle of the park which initially began last summer with Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch and Wataru Endo.

Whilst those at Anfield are yet to agree a deal for the Euro 2024 winner, talks are reportedly ongoing and Liverpool are confident that a deal is there to be done this month. It's not just the middle of the park that they're looking to strengthen, however.

Following Matip's exit at the end of his contract earlier this summer, Arne Slot has been left with a defensive void to fill. Whilst he still has Ibrahima Konate, Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Jarell Quansah to call on, injury concerns within that group means that the Dutchman could still do with an added option. And that's where a Bundesliga star could come in.

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The Reds have been given the chance to land a dream first signing for Arne Slot.

ByRobbie Walls Aug 7, 2024

According to GiveMeSport, Liverpool now appreciate Maxence Lacroix and could yet turn towards the Wolfsburg defender this summer. The Reds aren't the only side eyeing a move, however.

Recent reports have claimed that Crystal Palace see Lacroix as an option to replace Marc Guehi amid interest from Newcastle United in the England defender. Alas, any fears that the Eagles could swoop in and land a deal should be eased by rumours that they've just rejected a second bid for their star defender, negating the need for Lacroix at this time to give Liverpool a simpler task should they want to take advantage.

"Talented" Lacroix can fill Matip void

Earning a reported £58k-a-week, Lacroix's prime should be approaching at 24 years old, making now the best time to complete a big move away from Wolfsburg and to the Premier League. Without the pressure of hitting the ground running as a starter at Liverpool, thanks to competition from Van Dijk, Konate and Quansah, Lacroix would be an ideal replacement for Matip.

Progressive Carries

0.19

0.92

Progressive Passes

3.02

3.91

Tackles Won

1.11

0.69

Ball Recoveries

4.81

6.67

Minutes

2,362

781

Whilst Lacroix would struggle to replicate Matip's ball-carrying ability, he managed to maintain an impressive number of progressive passes to highlight just how he could cut through an opposition press using a different tactic.

The Frenchman has earned plenty of praise during his time in the Bundesliga, including from former Wolfsburg goalkeeper Koen Casteels, who said via the league's official website: “He arrived here from France and I was amazed at how well he adapted to the level here. He’s a very talented boy.”

Now, it's Liverpool who may benefit from that talent by signing a player they reportedly appreciate before the end of the summer transfer window at the end of the month.

Sean Williams and Donald Tiripano extended their eighth-wicket stand to 187 before the legspinner took charge once again

Karthik Krishnaswamy14-Mar-2021Bowlers win Test matches, and on a slow, placid track at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, it took a monumental effort from Rashid Khan for Afghanistan to pull off their third victory in only their sixth Test match.Carrying what was effectively a three-man attack of otherwise modest penetration, Rashid bowled 99.2 overs across back-to-back Zimbabwe innings and picked up 11 wickets. The other bowlers from both sides picked up a combined 16 wickets from 327.1 overs.Rashid is a global T20 superstar, but this performance – taking place in the outer reaches of Test cricket, outside the World Test Championship – showed off all the facets of his bowling that aren’t on view in the restricted canvas of limited-overs cricket. Most impressive was the tireless effort he put in, over after over, without losing the verve and zip to keep challenging both edges of the bat on a pitch with neither the pace nor the bounce to encourage wristspinners.Oh, and he did all this with the middle finger of his bowling hand not yet fully healed from the fracture that had kept him out of the first Test.Rashid’s efforts left Afghanistan needing 108 to win in the last 45 overs of the match. They got there for the loss of four wickets in 26.1 overs, with Rahmat Shah leading the way with a confident half-century. The target was too small to truly challenge Afghanistan on this pitch, and Zimbabwe’s bowlers didn’t attack the stumps often enough to test their batsmen. Rahmat breezed along to 58 off 76 balls before playing across the line of a Ryan Burl legbreak that kept low and bowled him. By then, Afghanistan were nearly home, needing just seven more to win.Zimbabwe may have eventually stumbled to the defeat that seemed a foregone conclusion when they followed on 258 behind, but for 70.4 overs, Sean Williams and Donald Tiripano had made them dream. Exactly 20 years after VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid had batted through an entire day’s play to turn a follow-on situation on its head, Williams and Tiripano were threatening to do something similar. They had batted through the entire post-tea session on day four, and they were within four minutes of batting through the entire first session of day five.They had put on 187 for the eighth wicket, and moved Zimbabwe from minus 116 for 7, effectively, to 71 for 7.Then Tiripano, five runs away from a maiden Test hundred, ran into the Rashid wrong’un. He’d seemed to pick Rashid out of the hand right through his innings, and had dealt with his threat magnificently even when he was getting the ball to scoot through low. The slowness of the pitch had helped Tiripano negotiate Rashid for 108 balls, but no one is ever entirely safe against him, not even when he’s starting his 93rd over of the match.For once, Tiripano didn’t pick Rashid out of his hand, and the pace of his delivery negated the slowness of the pitch, zipping through to strike him on the back pad and punish him for playing back to a good-length ball.The Zimbabwe innings ended with a similar wrong’un to dismiss Victor Nyauchi with Williams left stranded on 151. Before that, though, Williams and Blessing Muzarabani had added another 33 to their total for the ninth wicket, extending Afghanistan’s frustrations. Muzarabani played an entertaining hand of 17, scoring 16 runs courtesy four leg-side slogs in one Amir Hamza over, and scoring just one run from the other 39 balls he faced.He was also dropped on the leg-side boundary by Ahmadi while attempting another hoick off Hamza, before being given out by umpire Ahmed Shah Pakteen two balls later when Hamza had turned one past his defensive push. Muzarabani’s bat had hit the ground when he played the ball, possibly leading Pakteen to think he had edged it.Donald Tiripano and Sean Williams extended their eighth-wicket stand to 187 before Rashid Khan struck•Abu Dhabi CricketThe day began with Williams sending a leading edge ballooning over the bowler Sayed Shirzad’s head and into no-man’s land. His progress thereafter was serene, though, as he added 45 to his overnight score with little alarm, picking Rashid’s variations out of his hand and negotiating Shirzad’s short ball without trouble.Shirzad’s short ball, though, was causing Tiripano all kinds of problems, with the batsman struggling to gauge the height it would attain on this up-and-down fifth-day pitch. He was struck on the helmet while taking his eye off one of these short balls, gloved another in the air – but safely short of gully – and was smacked on the back while ducking into one that kept low enough to prompt an lbw appeal.Then, on 67, he offered Afghanistan a half-chance, when he drove away from his body at a Rashid legbreak and edged low towards Rahmat Shah at first slip. The fielder didn’t look too confident that he’d taken the catch cleanly, and replays confirmed the ball had touched the grass just as he pouched it.Thereafter, Williams and Tiripano went back to looking rock-solid, and Zimbabwe’s lead began to grow more quickly. Williams pulled a tired short ball from Shirzad wide of mid-on in the final over of his spell, Tiripano smacked a rare half-volley from Rashid straight back over his head for four, and then Williams punched Amir Hamza through the covers for another boundary – all this in the space of three overs.Tiripano had used the reverse-sweep with great success against Hamza on day four, and he whipped it out again to pick up two more fours in the left-arm spinner’s next two overs, before conventionally sweeping Rashid for another four to move to 86. Asghar Afghan whipped Hamza out of the attack and tried his luck with the part-time legbreaks of Rahmat and the left-arm spin of Shahidullah. Neither made much of an impression.Then Rashid, out of the attack for a mere four overs, returned with 15 minutes to go for lunch. Afghanistan had no choice but to keep bringing him back. He had bowled and bowled and bowled some more, and he came back and once again asked Zimbabwe, “let’s see what you do with my next ball.”

شهدت تدريبات الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي الأهلي التي أقيمت عصر اليوم على ملعب التتش بالجزيرة غياب لاعب المارد الأحمر عن المران الجماعي، ما أثار تساؤلات حول جاهزيته للمشاركة في المباريات القادمة.

وكشف الدكتور أحمد جاب الله، طبيب الفريق، عبر تصريحات على الموقع الرسمي للنادي الأهلي، عن غياب أحمد نبيل كوكا، حيث أوضح أن اللاعب اشتكى من آلام في عضلة السمانة.

وأضاف أن الجهاز الفني، حرصًا على سلامة اللاعب وتجنب تفاقم الإصابة، فضل عدم مشاركته في التدريبات الجماعية لحين الاطمئنان الكامل على حالته الطبية.

طالع أيضًا | معتز إينو يسخر من عرض الزمالك لتجديد زيزو.. ويؤكد: سينضم لـ الأهلي

وأشار جاب الله إلى أن كوكا خضع لمران استشفائي بدلاً من التدريبات الجماعية، وسيخضع أيضًا لآشعة على عضلة السمانة لتحديد مدى الإصابة بدقة ووضع البرنامج العلاجي المناسب.

ويُعتبر إجراء الآشعة خطوة مهمة لتحديد طبيعة الإصابة، سواء كانت مجرد إجهاد عضلي بسيط أو تمزق عضلي يستدعي فترة علاج أطول.

وكان الفريق الأول بالنادي الأهلي قد استأنف تدريباته عصر اليوم الثلاثاء على ملعب التتش بالجزيرة، وذلك بعد انتهاء الراحة السلبية التي منحها الجهاز الفني للاعبين لمدة 24 ساعة.

يستعد الأهلي لمواجهة فريق فاركو في تمام الساعة الرابعة عصر غداً الأربعاء على استاد برج العرب بالإسكندرية، وتُعتبر المباراة مهمة للمارد الأحمر في سعيه نحو المنافسة على لقب الدوري، حيث يسعى الفريق لتحقيق الفوز وحصد النقاط الثلاث.

In three days, Arsenal will kick-start their Premier League season at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers with one objective: to end their two-decade title drought.

Mikel Arteta's side have come painfully close for two years on the trot now, and after an impressive preseason, they look ready as ever.

However, fans will be hoping that the club will get some more business done before the transfer window slams shut in a couple of weeks to give them the best chance of lifting that trophy come May.

Fortunately, it appears the fans will get their wish, with Edu Gaspar and Co closing in on an exciting addition to the team and a player who'll help unlock Kai Havertz.

Arsenal transfer news

According to a recent report from The Athletic's David Ornstein, Arsenal are "stepping up" their efforts to sign Real Sociedad's Mikel Merino this summer.

Ornstein has revealed that Edu has been in Spain this week to "pursue" an agreement with the Basque club and that the player is keen to join the club, with personal terms not expected to be an issue.

There is no mention of how much the transfer might cost the Gunners, but reports from earlier this summer revealed that the fee could be around £25m.

It's not an insignificant amount of money, but based on his performances for Sociedad and Spain, it's reasonable, and bringing him in this summer should also help unlock Havertz.

Why Merino will help unlock Havertz

Okay, so while Merino isn't necessarily going to be the midfielder playing killer passes into the frontline while Martin Odegaard is next to him, there is one very crucial reason why having him in the team will help unlock Havertz, and that is simply his presence in the lineup.

Speak to any group of Arsenal fans about the German's campaign last season. The vast majority will tell you that he started slow and ended the year on fire and that these two spells directly correlated with where Arteta was playing him.

In the first half of the year, he was tasked with replacing Granit Xhaka in the left-eight role, and while he wasn't dreadful, he was underwhelming, racking up just six goals in 32 appearances, equating to an average of a goal involvement once every 5.33 games.

Appearances

32

18

Goals

6

8

Assists

0

7

Goal Involvements per Match

0.18

0.83

However, when he was moved into the number nine role in the latter half of the season, he exploded. In just 18 appearances as the club's centre-forward, he scored eight goals and provided seven assists, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 1.2 games in this new position, which is undeniably impressive.

Despite this incredible form up top, the former Chelsea ace has started a few preseason games in midfield this summer – much to the dismay of some supporters – but with the Sociedad star in the team, that would be far less likely to happen in competitive games.

This is because he spent the vast majority of last season playing in central midfield for La Real, with 38 of his 40 starts coming in that eight position.

Moreover, he's really impressive in the role as well, demonstrating his attacking talent with a haul of eight goals and five assists in 45 appearances, while showing he's no slouch in defence either, being the only player in Europe's top seven leagues to win over 300 duels last season – 326 to be exact.

Lastly, Arteta has reportedly been keen to sign the Spanish "monster," as data analyst Ben Mattinson dubbed him, all summer following his displays for Sociedad and Spain. He's not going to suddenly change his position at the Emirates to accommodate a player who clearly plays his best football as a centre-forward.

Therefore, while it's taken a while for this deal to progress, bringing Merino to Arsenal this summer looks like a fantastic idea, not only for the quality he'll bring to the middle of the park, but also because he'll free Havertz to remain up top, where he should be playing.

He'd make Odegaard unplayable: Arsenal in the race to sign £30m "monster"

The experienced number nine could fire the Gunners to glory.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Aug 13, 2024

Manchester City have identified Adam Wharton and Martin Zubimendi as the top candidates to replace Rodri in the January transfer window.

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• Man City want new midfielder amid Rodri absence
• Palace's Wharton & Sociedad's Zubimendi on their list
• Liverpool also linked with both midfield targets

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  City had been plotting to go after a new midfielder next summer, but the loss of Rodri due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury has forced them to consider investing in January, reports, and Crystal Palace midfielder Wharton and Real Sociedad star Zubimendi are on the list.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Wharton, 20, joined Palace from Blackburn in February this year and has already been linked with a move to Liverpool as well as City. Zubimendi, meanwhile, has also been linked with both sides and came close to moving to Anfield last summer.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Rodri has been out of action since sustaining his season-ending injury against Arsenal on September 22. While City remained unbeaten over the following four matches, they now find themselves in a dismal run of five losses and a draw over their last six games.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR MAN CITY?

  Pep Guardiola's team will hope to put an end to their woeful run on Sunday when they meet Liverpool, who are eight points clear at the top of the Premier League.

Chelsea concluded their pre-season preparations with a last-gasp 1-1 draw with Inter Milan on Sunday afternoon, a game that will be more remembered for the arrival of Pedro Neto.

News surprisingly broke on Friday afternoon that the Londoners were closing in on a move and in just over 48 hours all of the paperwork was finalised and he was announced as a Blue at half-time.

The news will come as sweet relief for Enzo Maresca and Todd Boehly whose plans to improve the squad in the final month of the window are now rather unravelling.

Then again, when did a transfer window ever go by in the Boehly era without a bit of drama?

With a move for Samu Omorodion falling apart, Chelsea are now scrambling to sort out a replacement. Fortunately, they've got a couple of irons in the fire.

The latest on Omorodion to Chelsea

In the last few days, it looked like the Atletico Madrid forward was heading to Stamford Bridge this summer.

A fee of around £34m was agreed and the player was set to pen terms on a seven-year contract in England.

However, David Ornstein revealed late on Sunday that a move has now 'collapsed' with a 'major problem' when finalising the contract hindering the deal.

As a result, the club are now targeting Joao Felix as an alternative. The Portuguese talent spent the second half of the 2022/23 season on loan with Chelsea where he played 20 times and scored four goals.

Are there any other alternatives? Well, Victor Osimhen has been talked about all summer long. There could be another up their sleeve too.

Chelsea's best Samu Omorodion alternative

Osimhem, the scorer of 31 goals during Napoli's Scudetto win in the 2022/23 season would be a mighty fine addition.

However, despite approaching his prime years at the age of 25, does he truly fit the transfer philosophy at Chelsea right now?

Boehly and Co have been intent on signing the best young talent in the world and as such, perhaps another target would be a wise addition.

Indeed, instead of Felix and Osimhen, they could target Brighton striker Evan Ferguson. The Irishman – who is just 19 – was a topic over the weekend when The Daily Star revealed that there is interest there from both Manchester United and Chelsea.

The forward has been valued as high as £100m previously but this fresh claim suggests United are looking at a £50m package if they were to move.

So, why would Ferguson be a better option than Omorodion? Well, first and foremost, he's already done it at senior level on a more regular basis and vitally, he's already done it in the Premier League.

To date, the Republic of Ireland international – who Roberto De Zerbi thought was "incredible" – has scored 16 times in 65 senior appearances, 12 of which have come in England's top flight.

Omorodion? Well, he's only found the net on nine occasions 35 LaLiga outings. It's not a bad record but aged 20, he's not played as much football at a high level as Ferguson has.

With that in mind, this move would surely be less of a gamble. Here's a further comparison of the two.

Goals

0.46

0.41

Assists

0.08

0.05

Progressive carries

0.92

1.35

Progressive passes

1.12

0.81

Shot on target %

54%

39%

Pass success %

80%

72%

Key passes

0.65

0.81

Shot-creating actions

1.69

1.49

Succesful take-ons

0.58

0.99

Aerials won

0.85

2.75

So, it's evident that the two are different profiles of forward. Omorodion is a bigger box presence, winning far more aerial duels. He's also capable of beating a man on a more regular basis, completing more take-ons and progressive carries.

That said, Ferguson is certainly the more consistent of the two. He links up with opponents with greater accuracy and his shots are more accurate, a stat that's obviously particularly important for a striker.

It likely comes down to what you think Chelsea need more of. However, with Premier League experience we're backing Ferguson in this one. He'd be a fabulous alternative to the Atletico youngster.

Watch out Omorodion: Chelsea want PL ace who's a bigger talent than Solanke

The Blues are still looking to improve their forward line this summer.

ByEthan Lamb Aug 11, 2024

في مباراة مثيرة من ليالي دوري أبطال أوروبا، قلب فريق برشلونة الإسباني الطاولة على مُضيفه بنفيكا البرتغالي، وحول تأخره إلى فوز بنتيجة 5-4، وحسم تأهله مباشرة لدور الـ 16.

وجاءت مباراة برشلونة وبنفيكا، في إطار مباريات الجولة السابعة لمرحلة الدوري بدوري أبطال أوروبا، على ملعب “النور” معقل الفريق البرتغالي.

“بطولات” قدم تغطية مباشرة لمباراة برشلونة وبنفيكا لحظة بلحظة بالفيديو (طالع من هنا).

وتقدم بنفيكا بهدف مبكر في الدقيقة الثانية عن طريق بافليديس، حيث أرسل كاريراس كرة عرضية من اليسار ليضعها بافليديس في الشباك بثقة، معلنًا عن بداية رائعة لأصحاب الأرض.

ثم تحصل برشلونة على ضربة جزاء بعد الرجوع لتقنية الفار، وسجل روربرت ليفاندوفسكي هدف التعادل في الدقيقة 13.

اقرأ أيضًا | ترتيب هدافي دوري أبطال أوروبا بعد ثنائية ليفاندوفسكي أمام بنفيكا

وعزز بافليديس تقدم بنفيكا، بعدما حاول الحارس تشيزني تشتيت الكرة لكنه فشل في التصدي لها، لتسكن الشباك، وأكدت تقنية الفيديو صحته بالدقيقة 22.

وبخطأ في الخروج من تشيزني، يحصل بنفيكا على ضربة جزاء، ويسجل منها بافليديس ثالث أهدافه في الدقيقة 30.

وخلال الشوط الأول، أهدر جافي ولامين يامال ورافينها فرصًا مؤكدة لبرشلونة، وحسم بتقدم بنفيكا 3-1.

في الشوط الثاني، تمكن رافينها من تقليص الفارق بهدف لبرشلونة، بعد تصويبة من حارس بنفيكا وصلت للبرازيلي ليسدد برأسية مباشرة في الشباك بالدقيقة 64.

وبعد 4 دقائق، جاءت كرة عرضية من شجيلدروب من الجهة اليسرى، وحولها رونالد أراوخو بالخطأ في مرماه ليمنح بنفيكا هدفًا رابعًا بالدقيقة 68.

وتحصل برشلونة على ضربة جزاء ثانية بعد خطأ من كاريراس على لامين يامال، وتوجه ليفاندوفسكي للتسديد ونجح في تسجيلها بالدقيقة 78.

وبتوقيت قاتل، اقتنص البلوجرانا التعادل، حيث لعب فيرمين لوبيز ركنية لبرشلونة وأرسل كرة وصلت لبيدري الذي لعب كرة عرضية رائعة باتجاه إريك جارسيا ويسدد رأسية في الشباك معلنًا الهدف الرابع بالدقيقة 87.

ولم يكتفٍ برشلونة بالتعادل، وتقدم بهدف خامس، الهدف جاء بعد تدخل من الحارس تشيزني على لاعب بنفيكا، ليطالب أصحاب الأرض بركلة جزاء وسط تجاهل الحكم، لتتحول إلى هجمة مرتدة، واستغلها رافينها مسجلًا الهدف الخامس القاتل.

وتدخلت تقنية الفيديو التي أقرت بصحة هدف رافينها وعدم وجود ضربة جزاء لصالح بنفيكا.

حسمت المباراة بفوز برشلونة 5-4، ليرفع رصيده للنقطة 18، ويتجمد رصيد بنفيكا عند 10 نقاط. أهداف مباراة برشلونة وبنفيكا في دوري أبطال أوروبا