Harry Kane could still get his trophy party at Bayern Munich despite being set to miss a potential title-clinching game through suspension.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
Has picked up five yellow cards this season
Must serve one-match suspension as a result
Title race could drag on beyond trip to Leipzig
Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱
WHAT HAPPENED?
After collecting a fifth yellow card of the season last time out against Mainz, prolific England international Kane must now serve a one-match ban. Bayern are in a position where the Bundesliga title may be clinched on Saturday.
Advertisement
Getty
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Kane will not form part of Vincent Kompany’s plans, but will come back into contention for Bayern’s final two fixtures of the 2024-25 campaign. If they were to drop points at RB Leipzig, while seeing Bayer Leverkusen win at Freiburg, then a domestic coronation will be delayed.
DID YOU KNOW?
That could work in Kane’s favour, as he looks to land the first major silverware of his career, with the 31-year-old being told to cut out the moaning about his latest caution and focus on the bigger picture of finally securing a winners’ medal.
ENJOYED THIS STORY?
Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting
Getty
WHAT LOTHAR MATTHAUS SAID
Bayern legend Lothar Matthaus has said in his column for : “Kane has declared the rule that a player is suspended after five yellow cards is crazy, pointing out that in England, yellow cards are erased after the first half of the season. But Kane plays in Germany, and we have other, bigger problems in the Bundesliga than adopting a system from England. We can be happy with our system, and we also have to protect our referees.
“Kane won't be allowed to play next Saturday, but he'll still win his first major title. Perhaps Bayern lose in Leipzig and Leverkusen win, then Munich can clinch the title at home against Monchengladbach, and Kane could be back in contention.”
The home side have a settled Test XI while the visitors’ batting needs to give their quicks a chance
Andrew McGlashan29-Nov-20221:38
Holder: We’ve put the T20 WC behind us, the focus is on Test cricket
Big PictureFor the first time in nearly seven years, two sides with a great history meet in Test cricket. That history has been sadly one-sided for a long time, but this is an overdue meeting for Australia and West Indies.The last time West Indies won a Test on these shores was back in 1997 in Perth – the WACA version – when Brian Lara scored a century, and Curtly Ambrose got one to roll along the deck to Greg Blewett from one of the infamous cracks. West Indies’ last Test victory against Australia was in 2003, when they chased a world record 418 in Antigua.West Indies could field four players in their XI who were part of the side that played a damp affair from the two teams’ last meeting, which was in Sydney in early 2016: Kraigg Brathwaite, now the captain; his predecessor Jason Holder; Jermaine Blackwood, and Kemar Roach. But for most, this will be a new experience. And that may not be a bad thing.Related
'I try and be myself, I can't be him' – meet Tagenarine Chanderpaul
Australia's Test return to Perth likely to prove a tough sell
The West Indies quicks who could give Australia the hurry-up
Holder urges WI quicks to not get 'carried away seeing carry, bounce'
Few give them a chance in this series – and it would be a surprise if it was anything other than 2-0 to Australia – but West Indies’ Test cricket has shown improvement, albeit mostly at home. However, revivals have to start somewhere. It may sound defeatist, but if they can compete in these two matches, it could provide more building blocks for the future. Their pace attack has the potential to cause problems; it will likely come down to whether they can put enough runs on the board to apply some pressure.Even though Australia lost their most recent Test – against Sri Lanka in Galle – they are in good shape in the format, as witnessed by the XI being entirely predictable. They are in a very strong position to reach the World Test Championship final – but be careful of those over rates – and a summer of victories will further strengthen their cause.This will be Perth’s first Test since the 2019-20 season when they hosted New Zealand in a day-night game, and it is just the second match at the venue with India having played the year before in an absorbing contest on a spicy pitch. It would be nice to think both those things can be repeated this time.There will be plenty of interest in Tagenarine Chanderpaul•Getty ImagesRecent form(Last five matches, most recent first) Australia: LWWDD West Indies: WWWDDIn the spotlightSteven Smith has found his hands, feet, stance, grip…everything sounds as though it is working perfectly for him, as good as it has been since around 2016. It is a scary prospect for opposition bowlers because Smith has still averaged 61 in Tests since then, albeit the last couple of years have been more of a struggle. The signs were promising in the ODIs against England but he may have to be on his guard on a lively Perth pitch. Still, it feels like it could be a summer of runs for Smith.The surname will be familiar. The stance may bring back memories. A few of the shots, too. And he marks his guard with the bail. But Tagenarine Chanderpaul wants to be his own man. At 26, he has had to bide his time for a Test debut, but this year his weight of runs have made an unquestionable case. Chanderpaul backed that up with a terrific double of 119 and 56 against Prime Minister’s XI in the pratice match. Australia’s bowling attack will be another level of the challenge, but he looks to have the game.Josh Hazlewood returns to the side, having missed the last four Tests•Getty ImagesTeam newsThis XI, confirmed by Australia, could have been picked weeks ago: Josh Hazlewood returns to the side, having missed the last four Tests due to requirements as per conditions in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, and four Ashes Tests because of injury before that. Scott Boland will have to wait to build on his bowling average of 9.55.Australia: 1 David Warner, 2 Usman Khawaja, 3 Marnus Labuschagne, 4 Steven Smith, 5 Travis Head, 6 Cameron Green, 7 Alex Carey (wk), 8 Pat Cummins (capt), 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Nathan Lyon, 11 Josh HazlewoodBrathwaite confirmed that Chanderpaul would make his debut and that Raymon Reifer was ruled out through injury. Beyond that, West Indies will name their side tomorrow. But the good news was that Blackwood and Jayden Seales were fine after brief scares during training on Monday. The likelihood is four quicks supported by Roston Chase’s offspin.West Indies (possible): 1 Kraigg Brathwaite (capt), 2 Tagnarine Chanderpaul, 3 Nkrumah Bonner, 4 Kyle Mayers, 5 Jermaine Blackwood, 6 Roston Chase, 7 Jason Holder, 8 Joshua Da Silva (wk), 9 Alzarri Joseph, 10 Kemar Roach, 11 Jayden SealesPitch and conditionsPerth. Hot. Pace. Bounce. Cracks. We’ll get some of that for sure, the first day is set to be 35 degrees, and there is a chance for all of them. The pitches for the T20 World Cup had plenty of life – the India vs South Africa contest was perhaps the best indicator, given the bowling attacks on display – although it is not quite as early in the season now. On the eve of the match, the curator said he had left 12mm of grass on the surface although that may get a trim before the toss. It is also worth noting Nathan Lyon’s excellent record at the Optus Stadium, where he has taken 14 wickets at 15.50 in two matches.Stats and trivia Pat Cummins needs one wicket to reach 200 in Tests, and go level with Jeff Thomson, while Kemar Roach requires eight to go past Joel Garner and become West Indies’ fifth-leading wicket-taker. Steven Smith needs one century to go level with Don Bradman on 29.A few of the West Indies players who were part of the 1997 win in Perth will be at this game: Phil Simmons is in his last series as coach, while Ian Bishop and Brian Lara will be commentators. Carl Hooper is also involved in Australian cricket this season as an assistant coach with Adelaide Strikers.Quotes”I feel like there’s so many good things going on at the moment, especially this Test team [being] No.1 in the world. It’s disappointing sometimes the focus gets drawn to off-field issues, but it hasn’t really affected our team.” “Our long-form cricket has really developed. It’s really good signs to see a lot of our players actually developing at the rate we want them to develop. This is not going to be an easy tour. But…this is a tour that a lot of people make their name.”
Rangers have been handed a blow on the transfer front as one star looks to be heading towards the exit doors at Ibrox, despite Philippe Clement wanting to keep him at the club.
Rangers struggling this season
It has been a tough season for Rangers, and Clement’s side look likely to end the campaign without any silverware as things stand. A dreadful start to the Scottish Premiership campaign left them well adrift of Celtic and they remain 13 points behind their Glasgow rivals despite an impressive win the last time that the two sides met.
Meanwhile, a shock upset at the hands of Scottish second tier side Queen’s Park knocked them out of the Scottish Cup in the fourth round, and they were beaten on penalties by Celtic in the Scottish League Cup final earlier in the campaign, leaving domestic silverware off the table.
"Money talks" – Rangers could sell star "entertainer" for ÂŁ8m, says pundit
He was wanted in January.
ByCharlie Smith Feb 14, 2025
They have been impressive so far in the Europa League, sealing automatic qualification to the next round of the competition thanks to a fine run of form that saw them beat OGC Nice and draw with Tottenham.
But with the likes of Spurs, Manchester United, Eintracht Frankfurt and Lyon all still in the competition, Rangers are rank outsiders to lift the trophy at the end of the campaign.
Clement’s own future has been questioned and he was booed by his own fans in the wake of the embarrassing cup exit. However, he could not be the only one set to leave Ibrox before the new campaign.
Rangers star closing in on exit
Now, a fresh report from Football Insider has claimed that Rangers ace Ianis Hagi is edging ever closer to an exit from Ibrox despite Clement wanting to keep hold of him. Missing the first half of the season thanks to a contract dispute, Hagi has become increasingly important to the boss, grabbing three goals and five assists in the top flight so far this season.
Appearances
15
Goals
3
Assists
5
Minutes per goal involvement
132
It led to him being dubbed “sensational” by Romanian legend Ilie Dumitrescu.
“Ianis Hagi had a sensational match. He hit a very good shot that managed to surprise a goalkeeper as excellent as Kasper Schmeichel. But he was superb for the whole game,” he explained.
And speaking in January, Clement admitted he wanted to keep hold of the Romanian: “I don’t have a clue what numbers Ianis has in mind, or the club. So there will be discussions between them. Of course, I’m happy with how Ianis is performing.”
Now though, it seems as though Hagi’s future lies away from Ibrox, with the report claiming that multiple clubs are now “prepared to make offers” and “there are now concerns that he could leave for free” due to impending offers that Rangers do not feel they can match.
It is claimed that both Torino and Fenerbahçe have registered an interest in the Romanian, but should he be available for free then there would undoubtedly be a scramble for his services.
“It’s long overdue; everyone is really buzzed about it,” SA allrounder says about the inaugural SA20 league
ESPNcricinfo staff15-Nov-2022
“I have a lot of clarity, and I am trying to focus on my role and not trying to do something else – that’s probably the biggest change”•BCCI
Wayne Parnell feels a lot of questions about South Africa’s performance at the men’s T20 World Cup have “probably been left unanswered”, but the team has to move on.”It was good, personally. But, obviously, as a team, we stumbled. A lot of questions have probably been left unanswered. But you have to move on,” Parnell, who picked up five wickets in five games at an economy rate of 6.37, told ESPNcricinfo on the sidelines of the SA20 launch. South Africa started the tournament well but were eliminated after a shock defeat to Netherlands.The focus, in terms of white-ball cricket, now shifts to the ODI World Cup next October in India, and 33-year-old Parnell feels he has it in him to make it to the next two global events, including the T20 World Cup in 2024.Related
Kagiso Rabada hopes for Test turnaround in Australia after 'disappointing' T20 World Cup
How will South Africa face the future?
CSA to conduct review into SA's performance at T20 WC
MI Cape Town vs Paarl Royals to kickstart SA20 on Jan 10
“For me, the key is enjoying cricket. There was a stage where I didn’t probably enjoy that much. It probably showed a little bit on the field,” Parnell said. “But, over the last five-six years, I have sort of really enjoyed my cricket, I have enjoyed [playing with] different teams, adding values on and off the field. So, 2023, why not? And then 2024, why not?”It’s about keeping your game simple. Obviously, I have a lot of clarity, and I am trying to focus on my role and not trying to do something else. I think that’s probably been the biggest change. And also, game time – I think, with cricket being the game of averages, you might have bad games; I trust my skills to the fullest and I have been able to showcase that, really.”Parnell was the first former Kolpak player to be recalled to the South Africa men’s national team after the system ceased to exist and has been a regular in both white-ball teams since returning to the national side in November 2021.He has also been a T20 globetrotter, playing in leagues across the world, and has also turned out regularly in the county circuit since 2017. He said that Moeen Ali [they were colleagues at Worcestershire between 2018 and 2021] and Faf du Plessis were instrumental in him becoming a better player in the last few years.Wayne Parnell fell for a duck as South Africa’s T20 World Cup collapsed in the game against Netherlands•Getty Images
“I have been lucky enough to share the dressing room with some of the best T20 players,” Parnell said. “So, [I’m] just trying to learn, learning from the next generation because they come with new ideas and they also look at the game differently. Even though I am more on the older side, I am probably trying to tap into the youngsters.”I think Moeen Ali has been the most influential. [He is a] really good cricketer, really great captain as well. And also, with the Hundred, with Faf du Plessis, same thing as well. Just really calm and clear about what you want to do and try to execute. It’s more about the process and outcome. They are very much process-driven and focussed and try to play to your strengths.”There is also South Africa’s SA20 league around the corner. Parnell, part of Pretoria Capitals, said a franchise T20 league was “long overdue” in the country.The tournament will comprise 33 matches, to be played from January 10 to February 11, with a halt between January 25 and February 1 when South Africa host England in three Super League ODIs.”Very excited. It’s long overdue. Everyone is really buzzed about it,” Parnell said. “Everyone can’t wait for the first game, obviously, it’s going to be a great Cape derby, I am also looking forward to Pretoria Capitals’ first game as well.”
Arsenal have now made contact over the signing of a “composed” striker who’s scored 20 league goals already this season, according to a report.
Gunners searching for a striker
Mikel Arteta opted to risk waiting until the end of the season before bringing in a new striker rather than making a move in the January transfer window, which could well prove to be the wrong decision, with Kai Havertz being ruled out for the rest of the campaign.
With Gabriel Jesus also sidelined, Leandro Trossard was given the nod to spearhead the Gunners’ attack in Saturday’s 2-0 victory at Leicester City, and the Belgian assisted Mikel Merino’s second goal from out wide, but it remains to be seen whether the lack of an out-and-out striker will be an issue against stronger opposition.
Regardless of how Trossard performs, it seems likely that the Gunners will bring in a new striker this summer, having identified a number of targets, including RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko and Atalanta’s Mateo Retegui.
Arsenal able to sign former Brazil striker as Arteta drops free agent hint
The Spaniard has refused to rule out signing an emergency centre-forward.
4 ByEmilio Galantini Feb 14, 2025
There has now been a new update on Arsenal’s pursuit of Retegui, with CaughtOffside reporting that the Gunners have already made contact with Atalanta to discuss a potential deal.
The north Londoners are said to be showing a strong interest in the striker, but there may be competition for his signature this summer, with the likes of Manchester United, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain also interested.
Amid widespread interest in the forward, Atalanta are set to demand a fee of €60m (£50m), which would be relatively affordable for a top Premier League club, and likely cost much less than Alexander Isak or Sesko.
Atalanta's MateoRetegui
Arteta has a number of top strikers on his shortlist, with the likes of Viktor Gyokeres and Victor Osimhen also said to be of interest.
Retegui on fire in the Serie A
With 20 league goals to his name already this season, the Italy international is by far and away the top scorer in Serie A, and he is averaging a goal every 69 minutes, while he has also bagged three assists.
Over the past year, the 25-year-old ranks in the 95th percentile when compared to his positional peers for goals per 90, having averaged 0.72, significantly outperforming his xG of 0.46.
Freiburg winger Vincenzo Grifo was full of praise for his compatriot after coming up against him back in 2023, saying: “Mateo Retegui is a very calm and composed guy.
“He was very concentrated and he deserved to score today as well, having played really well.”
The Atalanta star has really kicked on since then, having now proven himself in a major European league, so it is exciting news that Arsenal have made contact to discuss a deal.
An asking price of ÂŁ50m is very reasonable for a player of Retegui’s quality, although the widespread interest in his signature means his value could rise before the summer, particularly if he continues his prolific form in front of goal.
Cites disappointment at the team’s preparation for the World Cup and disagreements with the selectors and management
ESPNcricinfo staff04-Nov-2022
Mohammad Nabi, 37, had taken over the captaincy just before the 2021 T20 World Cup in UAE•ICC via Getty
Mohammad Nabi has resigned as Afghanistan captain citing his disappointment at the team’s preparation for the T20 World Cup and disagreements with the selectors and management.
Afghanistan’s narrow defeat to Australia in Adelaide on Friday saw them finish the World Cup with three defeats and two no-results, making them the only team to leave the tournament without a win.Nabi, 37, took over as captain before the 2021 T20 World Cup in the UAE after Rashid Khan’s own resignation. Nabi had previously also been named captain in 2010, replacing batter Nawroz Mangal.Rashid announced he had quit the role less than half an hour after the selectors had named their squad for that 2021 event, saying he had not been consulted.Nabi’s latest tenure lasted 23 completed games, with 10 wins and 13 defeats. Afghanistan won their initial group at the Asia Cup immediately before the T20 World Cup, but then lost all three games at the Super Four stage and have now lost their last six completed matches.”Our T20 World Cup journey came to an end, with a result that not us nor our supporters were expecting,” Nabi wrote in a statement posted on his Twitter account. “We are as frustrated as you are with the outcome of matches.”From the last one year, our team preparation was not to a level that a captain would want it or needed for a big tournament. Moreover, in some of the last tours the team management, selection committee and I were not on the same page which had implications on the team balance.”Therefore, with due respect, effectively immediately I announce to STEP DOWN as a CAPTAIN & will continue to play for my country when the management & team need me.”I thank every single one of you from the bottom of my heart who came to the grounds despite matches being affected by the rain and those who supporters us worldwide, your love truly means a lot to us. Long live Afghanistan.”Nabi did not give any indication of his intention to retire when speaking at the post-match presentation and his resignation was not mentioned by Jonathan Trott, Afghanistan’s coach, in the press conference that followed.Nabi is part of the golden generation of Afghanistan players that helped the team rise through the ranks and finally claim Test status in 2017. He led his country in 28 ODIs and 35 T20Is, making a combined 1023 runs and picking up 47 wickets. Afghanistan won their first ever game of World Cup cricket during his tenure – an ODI against Scotland in 2015. This was on the back of another landmark win, their first one ever against a Test-playing nation, in the 2014 Asia Cup.Nabi is Afghanistan’s most capped player – by a distance – and a sought-after name in the franchise T20 circuit.
Manchester City are reportedly set to step up talks with Nottingham Forest over a potential summer deal for Morgan Gibbs-White.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
De Bruyne set to leave Man CityCityzens keen on Gibbs-WhiteReady to step up talksFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Gibbs-White is said to be a "priority target" for Manchester City and the club plan to "advance" talks for the attacking midfielder in the coming weeks, according to . City are not expected to find any problems agreeing personal terms with Gibbs-White but may have their work cut out convincing Forest to part ways with the 25-year-old.
AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Manchester City are searching for a replacement for legendary midfielder Kevin De Bruyne who has announced he will leave the club this summer. Finding a successor to the brilliant Belgian will be a tough ask and Guardiola has already admitted it will be "almost impossible" to replace De Bruyne. Yet Gibbs-White has shone in a high-flying Nottingham Forest team this season, scoring five times and bagging seven assists for Nuno Espirito Santo's team.
DID YOU KNOW?
De Bruyne is yet to decide on where he will play his football next season. MLS side Chicago Fire are said to be keen, while the midfielder has refused to rule out staying in England.
ENJOYED THIS STORY?
Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting
Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT
Manchester City will say farewell to De Bruyne after their final home game of the season against Bournemouth on Tuesday 20 May. The Belgian will hope to end his City career with more silverware by beating Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final.
New Zealand Despite the defeat against England, New Zealand are still reasonably well-placed to qualify. A win by any margin in their last game against Ireland should be enough. Even if they win by just one run, Australia will have to win by around 152 runs, and England by around 95, for both teams to go past New Zealand’s excellent net run rate (NRR), which is currently at 2.233.Related
Finch and David a chance for Australia's crunch game against Afghanistan
Eng vs NZ: Buttler, Curran ignite England's World Cup campaign
Australia take charge vs Ireland, but fail to take control of destiny
T20 World Cup stats: Openers struggle in fast-bowling paradise
However, if New Zealand lose to Ireland on Friday, then they will have to hope that Australia lose to Afghanistan as well. Then, New Zealand (unless they’ve lost by a huge margin) will qualify along with the winner of the England-Sri Lanka game.England England are level on points with New Zealand and Australia. Their NRR of 0.547 is ahead of Australia’s -0.304, but well behind New Zealand’s 2.233. If all three teams win their final matches, then it will obviously come down to NRR. As explained above, New Zealand are comfortably ahead on this aspect.If Australia score 180 and beat Afghanistan by 60 runs on Friday, then England will need to beat Sri Lanka by at least 10 runs on Saturday to stay ahead on NRR. That means the difference in margins need be roughly up to 50 runs for England to stay ahead. From England’s point of view, they will know exactly what they need to do as they play the last game of the group.If England lose to Sri Lanka, though, then they will almost certainly be knocked out even if New Zealand and Australia lose their last games, as they are far behind New Zealand on NRR and in such a scenario Sri Lanka will go above the lot on points.Australia As explained above, Australia will get into an unfavourable NRR battle with New Zealand and England if all three teams win their last games in the group. What they would much rather prefer, obviously, is for them to beat Afghanistan, and for at least one of New Zealand or England to lose their last game. They will then qualify without NRRs coming into play.However, since they play on Friday, before England’s game against Sri Lanka, Australia will have to go for as big a win as possible. If, for instance, they chase a target of 120 in 12 overs, England will need to chase down 150 in around 17.5 overs to sneak ahead on NRR. All of this means that plenty of calculators will be out over the weekend.Sri Lanka Sri Lanka are the only team in contention in this group with an even number of points. The only way they can qualify is if they beat England, and if at least one of New Zealand or Australia lose their last game. If their game against England gets washed out, Sri Lanka will be eliminated given that their NRR is so far behind that of New Zealand.Ireland Not only will Ireland have to beat New Zealand, they will also have to win by around 105 runs to go past them on NRR. Apart from that, they will also have to hope for Australia to lose to Afghanistan, since one of England or Sri Lanka will surely progress beyond five points. In other words, the best Ireland can probably hope to do is to help one of the other teams in their bid to qualify.
Chelsea only played Brighton six days ago, losing 2-1 at the Amex Stadium in the FA Cup, leaving the Blues out of both domestic cup competitions now.
Despite having 57% possession, Enzo Maresca’s side only took seven shots in the game, creating zero “big chances”.
On the other hand, Brighton managed to create two “big chances” with only 43% possession, only taking six shots at goal throughout.
But, Chelsea now have a good chance to put things right, facing Brighton at the Amex Stadium again on Friday, this time in the Premier League, with the chance to secure their top-four spot for another week.
The latest Chelsea team news
Maresca confirmed in his press conference that Chelsea will be without Nicolas Jackson and Marc Guiu, with the former now “out until the international break”. The muscular injury was confirmed to be worse than was first feared, with a scan showing he would be out for six to eight weeks.
Guiu is also going to be out “for a little while”, in the words of the manager, with a hamstring issue. This leaves Christopher Nkunku as one of Chelsea’s main striker options in the absence of the pair, but the Italian also stated they will find “other solutions”.
Chelsea'sNicolasJacksonreacts after sustaining an injury
On a more positive note, Maresca confirmed Chelsea captain, Reece James, is fit and available to face Brighton after being rested against them in the cup six days ago, as was the plan according to the Italian.
Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
Chelsea's Jackson, Guiu & Nkunku dilemma
Jackson and Guiu are the only two natural number nines Maresca has had at his disposal in the first-team, with the Senegal international scoring nine goals in 24 appearances this season, and the 18-year-old Spaniard netting six times in 13 appearances.
Marc Guiu
Their least natural fit in that position has proven to be Nkunku leading the line, which we saw against Brighton in the FA Cup to minimal effect.
Despite having a good goal-scoring record this season, scoring 13 goals in 31 appearances, Maresca has admitted himself the Frenchman isn’t a “proper” nine and is more of an attacking midfielder, who has different behaviours.
Goals
0.47
1.18
0.77
Assists
0.26
0.00
0.26
xG
0.59
N/A
0.78
Progressive Carries
2.12
N/A
1.57
Progressive Passes
1.40
N/A
2.35
Shots Total
3.26
3.92
2.97
Goals/Shot
0.14
0.30
0.22
Key Passes
1.30
1.25
1.76
Shot-Creating Actions
3.21
1.25
3.92
Aerial Duels Won
0.67
0.00
1.96
When comparing the underlying numbers of each forward this season, you can see how each one brings something slightly different to the table. Jackson provides an all-around profile, being able to progress play in the build-up, make runs in behind and also create for others.
Guiu, being a slightly more natural number nine build, is looking to do more of his work in the box, winning aerial duels (which doesn’t show up in the stats) and wanting to provide that finishing touch. With Nkunku being more of an attacking midfielder, wants to receive the ball deeper, get plenty of touches and be a big part of the game.
The Frenchman playing as the nine is still likely to be a solution for Maresca to use in these coming weeks, but it clearly isn’t the only one on his mind, and perhaps a slight tweak in positions between Nkunku and a certain other star could prove to be more fruitful.
Maresca's possible solution
Everyone already knows how good Cole Palmer is, Chelsea’s top scorer this season with 14 goals in 27 appearances. Earlier in the season, after scoring four goals against Brighton at Stamford Bridge, Theo Walcott praised the 22-year-old as a “gifted” talent, stating “he is going to be a Premier League legend”.
But, one option for Maresca could be to switch the positions of Palmer and Nkunku, with the Englishman playing as more of a “false nine” and the Frenchman being able to play off of him in tandem. This would the Englishman the freedom as a nine to drift around, picking up the ball and dragging central defenders with him everywhere he goes. This would open up spaces for others around him, one being Nkunku, but another being Noni Madueke, who would be a key ingredient to this recipe.
By setting the former Manchester City ace on the last line, his ability to drop into the half spaces, receive the ball slightly deeper and drag defenders with him, would allow Madueke to make runs inside from wide areas, attacking the space vacated between the central defenders which would allow Maresca to get more goal threat from his most direct winger this season.
vs Fulham (H)
12
8
vs Ipswich (A)
20
5
vs Crystal Palace (A)
15
1
vs Morecambe (H)
28
8
vs Bournemouth (H)
26
10
vs Wolves (H)
19
7
vs Man City (A)
10
4
vs West Ham (H)
22
3
vs Brighton (A)
7
1
When analysing Chelsea’s shot tallies over the past ten games, you can see the highest Premier League shot tallies (26 against Bournemouth and 22 against West Ham) both started with Madueke on the right, whereas two of the three lowest tallies (12 against Fulham and 7 against Brighton) both came with a wing pairing of Pedro Neto and Jadon Sancho.
Bringing that extra shot volume into the team in the absence of Jackson and the ability to run in behind will be key, which is why the trio of Palmer, Nkunku and Madueke could be the key for Maresca in this tough stint of the season coming up.
Chelsea must regret letting go of one of the "world's best" players for ÂŁ0
This player has become one of the best in Europe after leaving Chelsea behind.
Harry Maguire has revelled in his "brilliant" new nickname from fans after starring in Manchester United's superb Europa League win at Athletic Club.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
Man Utd beat Athletic Club 3-0
Defender Maguire stars in victory
Revels in "brilliant" new nickname
Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱
WHAT HAPPENED?
Maguire put in a commanding performance in United's 3-0 first-leg win at Athletic Club on Thursday, with fans saying his display was Brazil-esque. After finding out supporters had named him "Harrydinho" on social media, the England international – who showed great wing play for Casemiro's opener – couldn't contain his delight.
Advertisement
Getty Images Sport
WHAT MAGUIRE SAID
He told TNT Sports after the game: "Brilliant… I'm sure there's a few nicknames out there for me. But the win was more important."
He went on to add: "The tie is not done…I'm sure Old Trafford will be like this place [for the second leg]. It was nice to do a bit of dribbling out there [that led to the first goal]. They must have trusted me to put in the cross."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
United have had a wretched season but it could yet, somewhat, be salvaged if they win the Europa League – which would ensure their passage into next term's Champions League. The Red Devils deservedly beat the Spanish side in their own backyard and now are on the brink of another European final. And Maguire played a big part in that.
ENJOYED THIS STORY?
Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting
Getty Images Sport
WHAT NEXT?
Maguire's United take on Brentford on Sunday in the Premier League before heading back to Old Trafford next Thursday for the second leg against Athletic Club.