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Burnley boss Vincent Kompany could be trumped by several clubs – and one particularly close to home – in the hunt to sign a promising young striker this summer, according to recent reports.

Is Derry Scherhant going to Burnley?

According to reports, Burnley have 'shown interest' in Hertha Berlin forward Derry Scherhant this window and even made an enquiry regarding his availability.

However, their arch-rivals Blackburn Rovers have emerged as genuine suitors to land Scherhant on a loan deal, and both suitors also face further competition for the 20 year-old from Sky Bet Championship outfits Queens Park Rangers and Preston North End, as per Football Insider.

Earlier in the window, Telegraph Sport revealed that Premier League high-flyers Newcastle United were keen to add Scherhant to their 'pool of emerging talent' and it was said at the time that a fee of around £1.5 million would suffice to bring the Germany Under-20 international to the Premier League.

Bringing in young talent that can eventually push for first-team involvement at Newcastle United has become a long-term strategy for sporting director Dan Ashworth; nevertheless, it looks as if any move for Scherhant has died down at St James' Park for now.

Nottingham Forest have also been touted as a potential destination for Scherhant and were reported to be reading a bid of £1.8 million for the starlet, according to Football Insider, so he is player a man in demand.

Cited by The Burnley Express, Kompany has spoken about the chaotic nature of Burnley's transfer window so far and how he has managed to navigate a high turnover regarding his squad, stating: “Yeah, I think we always did anticipate it would have to be that busy. To make it less busy, that’s why we did four or five transfers in January last season because we knew it was going to be the same as what we experienced 12 months ago.

How good is Derry Scherhant?

Scherhant is obviously a talented youngster who has attracted eyes from around the English game owing to his promise; however, it is unclear whether he would be able to break into Burnley's starting side at present due to having limited senior experience under his belt.

In his senior career, the 20-year-old has featured 11 times for Hertha Berlin, getting himself on the scoresheet once against Borussia Monchengladbach last term, as per Transfermarkt.

His exploits in Hertha Berlin's second string have reason to be admired however, with the German youngster notching 27 goals and eleven assists from 48 outings.

Capable of playing either on the flank or as an out-and-out number nine, Berlin-born Scherhant would certainly provide excitement and flair wherever he ends up playing his football this term; nevertheless, he will need regular senior involvement to fulfil his true potential, which may be more likely at one of Blackburn, Preston or QPR.

Football Insider report that Burnley had a bid of £10 million rising to £12 million turned down for Sunderland winger Jack Clarke this window and it is said that the Wearside outfit are demanding £15 million for the Englishman before agreeing to sanction his exit from the Stadium Of Light.

Believed to retain an 'active interest' in the 22-year-old, this could signal that Kompany has turned his attention elsewhere for potential offensive additions.

The visitors need to bulk up their middle order and tighten fielding if they are to avoid losing their first T20I series to India in Rajkot

The Preview by Deivarayan Muthu03-Nov-20172:00

Dasgupta: India should continue with a similar team combination

Big pictureImagine running into a brick wall again and again and again. It’s perhaps T20 cricket’s equivalent of dropping three catches, and in addition New Zealand’s ground fielding in Delhi featured uncharacteristic fumbles. The cost of such indiscipline was 154 runs, the match and their No.1 ranking. Kane Williamson is not a captain who would give excuses, but deep down this defeat would have stung. The visitors now need a strong response to force the series into the decider in Thiruvananthapuram.For all the skill Tom Latham and Williamson displayed in the ODI series, they lacked the muscle to have a proper crack at a target of 203. New Zealand are also struggling to identify a finisher. Henry Nicholls’ audition for the role in the ODIs gave the side hope, but Colin de Grandhomme has had an underwhelming stint both with the A team and the senior team, managing 91 runs in five innings at a strike-rate of 81.98. He has fared worse with the ball, taking a solitary wicket at an average of 203 and economy rate of 6.76. New Zealand need to work out a way to fit Ross Taylor, who hasn’t played T20Is since the World Cup last year, in the middle order.India’s batsmen ran away with the chances offered to them, but the management would have been more pleased with the bowlers. Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowled Colin Munro with a pinpoint yorker; and dew or not, Yuzvendra Chahal and Axar Patel continued being remarkably accurate.Form guideIndia: WLWWL (completed matches, most recent first)
New Zealand: LLWWWIn the spotlightSince his debut in 2014, Shreyas Iyer has been such a prolific scorer in domestic cricket that some feel he should have been given an international cap much earlier. The Mumbai batsman did not even get to bat on Wednesday, and will be eager to announce himself to the world, and possibly even throw his hat in the ring for the rolling No. 4 slot in ODIs.It seems hard to believe that Ish Sodhi wasn’t even part of the ODI squad for the India tour. From a fill-in for the injured Todd Astle, he led the attack in Delhi, showing excellent control over both the legbreak and the wrong’un. He had the second-best economy rate on a night when 351 runs were scored.Team newsWith Ashish Nehra now retired from all cricket, there is one spot up for grabs in Rajkot. India might consider handing a debut to Hyderabad quick Mohammed Siraj or beef up their middle order by including Manish Pandey or Dinesh Karthik.India (probable): 1 Shikhar Dhawan, 2 Rohit Sharma, 3 Virat Kohli (capt.), 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 MS Dhoni (wk), 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar 9 Jasprit Bumrah, 10 Mohammed Siraj/Manish Pandey/Dinesh Karthik 11 Yuzvendra ChahalNot so long ago, Taylor’s T20 future was uncertain, but this middle order now needs his experience. He could come in place of fellow Central Districts batsman Tom Bruce.New Zealand (probable): 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Kane Williamson (capt.), 3 Colin Munro, 4 Ross Taylor/Tom Bruce, 5 Tom Latham (wk), 6 Henry Nicholls, 7 Colin de Grandhomme, 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Trent Boult, 10 Tim Southee, 11 Ish SodhiPitch and conditionsThe pitch to be used on Saturday looked completely devoid of grass in the middle of a lush green outfield. The track is known to favour batsmen and more runs could be expected for the second T20 too. Rajkot, like Delhi and Kanpur, will continue to provide the teams with pleasant, early winter conditions.Stats and trivia Virat Kohli needs 12 runs to surpass Tillakaratne Dilshan’s tally of 1889 and become the second-highest scorer in T20Is. Brendon McCullum leads the list with 2140 runs. Yuzvendra Chahal needs three wickets to become the joint-highest wicket-taker in T20Is this year along with West Indies’ Kesrick Williams and Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan. New Zealand need to win the remaining matches in the series to reclaim the top spot in T20Is and establish a three-point lead over Pakistan. The average first-innings score at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in the last two IPL seasons is 169. Only one T20I has been played at this venue, in 2013 when India chased down 202 against Australia.Quotes”It’s my home ground so I know what to expect from the wicket. I’m looking to bowl the way I did in the IPL because you don’t get much turn, it’s skiddy and there’s not much bounce.”
India left-arm spinner “Taking the conditions into account, especially in T20s, is really important because you have to try and get something out of the wicket or conditions because batsmen are constantly trying to get after the spinners. “
New Zealand legspinner

Newcastle United are hoping to close on the final piece of the summer puzzle, with Eddie Howe's side homing in on the signing of an exciting Premier League star.

What's the latest on Lewis Hall to Newcastle?

According to Sky Sports, Newcastle are in advanced negotiations with Chelsea for the signing of talented youngster Lewis Hall, discussing a fee in the region of £30m.

Read the latest Newcastle transfer news HERE…

It was previously reported by the Evening Standard that the Blues had agreed a loan deal with Crystal Palace for the 18-year-old while offering Hall a bumper new contract with the club, but appear to have been swayed by the chance to recuperate a large sum for an academy graduate.

The Magpies have already signed Sandro Tonali, Harvey Barnes and Tino Livramento for the first team this summer, but Howe recently claimed that he would "love" one more signing, and it appears he has got his wish.

How good is Lewis Hall?

Praised for his "assured" age-belying presence on the ball by journalist Fentuo Tahira Fentuo, Hall stood out as a ruby among rubble last season as Chelsea foundered in an abysmal campaign, finishing 12th in the Premier League and looking just about as miserable a squad as can be.

He only played nine times in the Premier League but earned an average Sofascore rating of 7.01, completing 84% of his passes, averaging 1.2 shots and 1.7 key passes per game, and also making 2.7 tackles per outing.

According to BBC Sports' Raj Chohan, the 5 foot 10 gem has an "unbelievable dribbling ability" and is a "top tier talent", ranking among the top 16% of full-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for successful take-ons and the top 5% for shot-creating actions per 90, as per FBref, to emphasise this point.

Also ranking among the top 5% for tackles and the top 10% for interceptions per 90, Hall could very well provide the Magpies with the perfect option to rival Dan Burn for a regular starting berth in the Toon team – indeed, Newcastle will play in the Champions League this term and could feasibly achieve silverware across four fronts.

Given Hall's dynamism and aptitude across both offensive and defensive sides of the game, he could be moulded into Howe's very own version of Chelsea's Reece James, which would sting the Blues considering they are the ones granting his sale.

James, like Hall, is a graduate of the Cobham academy and has recently been appointed club captain after making 148 appearances, scoring 11 goals and providing 20 assists, winning the Champions League and earning praise for potential "beyond the sky" by former manager Graham Potter.

The all-encompassing defender ranks among the top 5% of positional peers for shot-creating actions and the top 8% for progressive passes and progressive carries per 90, highlighting his own ball-playing and carrying skills that set him within the top stratosphere of such talents.

Hall is right at the maiden stage of his career and he will continue to build the blocks together as he rises to prominence, and Chelsea might just rue his sale in the future as Newcastle nurture a prodigy to rival James in the Premier League.

Arsenal have enjoyed a period of stable progression under Mikel Arteta, with little cause for worry as he forges a brighter future. However, that has not been a process without its hiccups…

Is Douglas Luiz leaving Aston Villa?

Having handed Emi Martinez a show of faith amidst Bernd Leno's injury, the Argentine impressed in between the sticks for a period.

Many thought they have pulled a blinder when such a stint resulted in a permanent move away to Aston Villa, retrieving a hefty £17m fee for what was essentially a backup goalkeeper. Few could have imagined just how far he would continue to grow.

Read the latest Arsenal transfer news HERE…

Now, in an attempt to avenge that devastating decision, and bolster their midfield too, perhaps the Gunners could seek to snag Douglas Luiz from Unai Emery's clutches.

After all, journalist and transfer insider Dean Jones suggested that they remain in the hunt, speaking to GIVEMSPORT:

"I think it’s an open secret in football that Arsenal still want Douglas Luiz, but they have failed to sign him in the past and given that Aston Villa are in a better place now than they were in 2022, I would expect them to keep hold of him again.

"It would take a huge offer to change their stance on that and while I do actually think this would be a great style of player for Arsenal to sign, I’m not convinced they have the capability in this window to make an offer that is so strong that Aston Villa can not turn it down.

How good is Douglas Luiz?

In his debut campaign at Villa Park, the Argentina international quickly established how much of a blunder sanctioning his exit was with his fine goalkeeping displays.

Featuring in all of their Premier League games that year, he maintained a 7.18 average rating, buoyed by his 15 clean sheets and 3.7 saves per game, at a 76% success rate, via Sofascore.

He was comfortably the highest-rated shot-stopper in the division that term, made even more impressive given how busy he was. Martinez was forced to make the third-most saves that year too.

However, that was not the extent of his success in the Midlands, given he has gone on to feature 112 times for the club.

His exploits led to an emergence within his national team, which had huge ramifications on the recent 2022 World Cup.

The 30-year-old was called upon on numerous occasions, emerging at the biggest moments to keep his side alive. He helped them crawl through a penalty shootout against the Netherlands before his last-minute save from Randal Kolo Muani prevented France from winning the final at the death.

Then, he would be the hero yet again, saving once in another shootout to become the hero. Gabby Agbonlahor even suggested: "I think he's the best goalkeeper in the world."

To think of where his career has risen, and how easily he was allowed to leave by Arteta, it likely remains one of his few big regrets from his time at the Emirates.

However, adding Luiz to his ranks should alleviate that frustration, given the attacking impetus he would offer to his engine room, alongside a tireless work rate. It could be the key addition that helps push them closer to that title.

His 7.10 average rating in the league last season was the best of any Villa player, largely bolstered by his 12 goal contributions 86% pass accuracy, two tackles and 1.2 key passes per game, via Sofascore.

The Brazilian is creative yet cut-throat, with writer Jack Grimse having branded the £75k-per-week star a "warrior" in the past.

To bring this kind of steel and elegance to Arteta's side, which prides itself on blending work ethic with pure quality, and at last, they could be set to get back at Villa for taking and turning Martinez into one of the world's best.

Hemantha Devapriya said that competing with the top countries was an invaluable experience even though Sri Lanka came home with only one win in seven matches

Sa'adi Thawfeeq22-Jul-2017Sri Lanka may have won only one match out of seven in the Women’s World Cup, but coach Hemantha Devapriya believes the experience of playing against the top seven countries was an invaluable learning curve.”The tournament enabled our players to really see the standards of the other teams,” he said. “It’s a big demand for them to work hard and get into that level within a very short time. They have been talking to players from other teams and they know the areas they have to work on and they are ready to learn.”Sri Lanka beat Pakistan in their final league match before returning home, and Devapriya contended that they could well have beaten West Indies and India too if not for a couple of issues. “Overall I am happy with their performance but we could have done a little better if our middle-order batting and fielding came up to their capabilities.”We were struggling to put 200-plus runs on the board and only two players had strike-rates of over 50 – Chamari Atapattu and Eshani Lokusuriyage,” he said. “However, if you see during the tournament, we crossed the 200-run mark on four occasions and the girls have shown improvement in their strike-rates. Some batters’ strike-rates have gone up to 85-90 and that is a good indication.”Where, in the past, Sri Lanka have struggled to the match power-hitting in modern cricket, at the World Cup, they had one of their key players, Atapattu, slam an unbeaten 178, with 22 fours and six sixes, against a full-strength Australian attack. Devapriya noted this as an improvement, but highlighted that there were other aspects of batting that needed work.Chamari Atapattu’s breathtaking knock against Australia has won praise from the Sri Lanka women’s coach•Getty Images/ICC”We did practice a range of shots and I can see that they are now capable of using those shots,” he said. “We worked a lot on playing off the back foot and how to use the pace of the ball especially the flat bat shot and the sweep shot and inside out shots. The players are now taking calculated risks and playing those shots little by little.”We are concentrating now on taking more singles because the confidence is not there. We have given them a lot of singles targets, which quietly they are improving but still we are not up to international standards. Placing the ball and working with soft hands those are the areas we are working on.”Another lesson learnt was the importance of facing up against quality sides and battling it out. “We noticed that against sides like Australia, England, India and New Zealand very hardly do you get a loose ball,” Devapriya said. “They are accurate and they are well ahead in the practical and mental game. Our players aren’t powerful strikers of the ball. We have to put the players through special exercises to get more power into their shots and bowling. Fielding is coupled with fitness. The players now have a better understanding of what is required of them to become better cricketers.”As much as improvements need to be made to the current squad of players, Devapriya was conscious of highlighting the need to build the necessary infrastructure that will feed new players into the system.”If you notice our present side has aging players,” he said. “India has several players who played in the last World Cup because they introduced them as youngsters. Now they have a lot of experience behind them and their mental and tactical game is streets ahead of us. India has developed fast. They were a little ahead of us when we played them in the last World Cup, but now for us to get there it’s going to take some time.”The first steps towards that goal have been taken. “Sri Lanka Cricket, in the recent past, has introduced an under-23 tournament,” Devapriya said. “There was no tournament like that before. The selectors picked 60 players from the tournament called the development squad and after further trials pruned it down to 30. Of that we are hoping to get at least another 5-6 players from the emerging squad. We’ll have to work closely with them and see how they can fit into the national squad.”What is encouraging is leading girls’ schools have now taken up to cricket. At the moment we have about 2500 girls playing and Sri Lanka Cricket is working hard to promote the game. If all goes well we might see some good players coming through the schools.”Sri Lanka are next scheduled to tour the Caribbean for a series of five ODIs in October. The tour, however, is yet to be finalized by the two cricket boards.

Another ruthlessly efficient bowling performance from Nottinghamshire swept them to their fifth victory of the Specsavers County Championship season and strengthened their lead at the top of the Division Two table

ECB Reporters Network21-Jun-2017
ScorecardJames Pattinson claimed an eight-wicket match haul•Getty ImagesAnother ruthlessly efficient bowling performance from Nottinghamshire swept them to their fifth victory of the Specsavers County Championship season and strengthened their lead at the top of the Division Two table.After being bowled out for 134 in their first innings Leicestershire struggled just as badly the second time around and, with Ben Raine unable to bat due to injury, they succumbed for exactly the same total, to lose by an innings and 280. Luke Fletcher took 3 for 16 and James Pattinson bagged 3 for 38 – giving him a haul of 8 for 71 – as the match was wrapped up just after lunch on the third day. Clint McKay hit his way to an unbeaten 41 from 24 balls but by then the contest was almost over.Stuart Broad only bowled one over before leaving the field but by that stage the visitors were five wickets down and spiralling to their second heavy defeat against Notts this season.Pattinson had helped himself to five Foxes wickets during the previous day and needed only five deliveries to add to his tally as Leicestershire began their second innings after being made to follow-on 414 behind. Pattinson took eight wickets when the sides met at Leicester in early April and another four in the Royal London Cup clash between the two sides at Welbeck and made the early breakthrough by having Paul Horton caught behind for 6.Jake Ball also struck in his opening over, with Brendan Taylor taking a sharp catch at third slip to remove Harry Dearden, who has fallen for 12, 0, 6 and 0 against Notts this season. Mark Cosgrove made 22 before falling lbw in Luke Fletcher’s first over to leave the innings in tatters at 49 for 3.Fletcher struck twice more, dismissing Colin Ackermann by the same method and then had Mark Pettini caught at second slip. Steven Mullaney removed Ned Eckersley for 20 and with the final ball of the morning session Pattinson nipped out Lewis Hill to bring the finishing line even closer.Hill had received treatment earlier in the over after being struck on the helmet and had earlier survived a catch at slip after the umpires ruled it had come off the forearm rather than the glove or bat.McKay hit Mullaney for two sixes in a bold act of defiance but at the other end Dieter Klein was yorked by Pattinson and then Gavin Griffiths nicked Ball into the hands of second slip, condemning Leicestershire to their heaviest innings loss since 1932.Nottinghamshire gained the full 24 points from their victory and face promotion rivals Kent under the Trent Bridge floodlights next week, whilst Leicestershire only gathered two bonus points ahead of their next fixture against Northamptonshire at Wantage Road.

West Ham United have “enquired” about a deal to sign Chelsea forward Callum Hudson-Odoi this summer, according to CBS reporter Ben Jacobs.

Is Callum Hudson-Odoi leaving Chelsea?

The Blues academy graduate was sent out on a season-long loan to Bayer Leverkusen last term in the hope of finding him some regular game time, but having only started seven games out of 34 in the Bundesliga, the left-sided winger had an underwhelming spell on the road.

With the Premier League starlet’s contract at his parent club expiring at the end of the next campaign, Mauricio Pochettino is reportedly set to hold crunch talks with the 22-year-old this week regarding his future in SW6, and should he depart, he seemingly won’t be short of potential suitors.

Back in August 2022, 90min credited the Irons with an interest in signing England’s former international before he made the temporary move to Germany, and despite a deal failing to materialise at the time, David Moyes is looking to take a second bite of the cherry.

Are West Ham signing Hudson-Odoi?

Writing in his column for CaughtOffside, Jacobs name-checked West Ham as potential suitors for Hudson-Odoi but admitted that the Chelsea attacker is yet to make a full decision as to where his next destination will be. He said:

“As has been reported, a move to Saudi Arabia is certainly an option for Callum Hudson-Odoi this summer. But nothing has been decided just yet. Hudson-Odoi is assessing his future and may prefer to stay in Europe. Despite a relatively underwhelming loan at Bayer Leverkusen last season, there is no shortage of interest in the 22-year-old.

“Keep an eye on Brentford and Fulham. Crystal Palace and West Ham have also enquired. Newcastle are a historic suitor, but not currently considering a move. There is also some initial interest from Atalanta.”

Should Moyes take a chance on Hudson-Odoi?

West Ham will know that Hudson-Odoi wasn’t handed as many minutes as he would have hoped at Bayer Leverkusen hence why he only recorded one goal and assist during his time there, but he still has the potential to pose a threat in the final third.

Last season, the Adidas-sponsored gem, who pockets £120k-per-week, ranked in the 87th percentile for progressive carries so loves to take on his marker and push his team up the pitch, but he also recorded 3.86 shot-creating actions per league game which was the third-highest total throughout Xabi Alonso’s squad, via FBRef.

Chelsea’s “monster of a talent”, as dubbed by journalist Nizaar Kinsella, would further add excellent versatility to the manager’s ranks with his ability to operate all across the frontline and even three roles in the midfield, so with the game time that he’d receive in E20, it’s well worth bringing him to the London Stadium.

An update has emerged on Manchester United and their pursuit of a deal to sign Mason Mount during the summer transfer window…

What’s the latest on Mason Mount to Manchester United?

CBS journalist Ben Jacobs has revealed that the Red Devils are set for discussions with Chelsea over a possible deal to sign the England international in the coming days.

The reporter told Caught Offside:

"Manchester United haven’t yet walked away from pursuing Mason Mount and there will be further club-to-club talks this week.

"Their latest £50+5m offer, despite being officially rejected, remains on the table. There is frustration from Manchester United that it wasn’t accepted given Mount only has a year left on current his Chelsea deal.

"Manchester United still want to get a deal done, so this could yet prove a big week, but they refuse to accept Chelsea’s £58+7m counter. This should come as no surprise. Manchester United have never been willing to pay more than £60m for Mount."

Would Mount be a good signing for Manchester United?

The 24-year-old maestro has the potential to be an exceptional addition to Erik ten Hag’s side as his previous form indicates that he could be the manager’s own version of Manchester City superstar Kevin De Bruyne.

Mount is coming off the back of a disappointing Premier League season.

He averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.05 across 24 league outings and contributed with three goals and two assists for the Blues.

The Chelsea academy graduate did not make a big impact in the final third on a regular basis and would not be a worthwhile signing for the Red Devils based on that form, as at least five United players managed more goals or assists last term.

However, Mount's exceptional performances during the 2021/22 season would indicate that he is worth taking a gamble on.

The 5 foot 11 dynamo averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.43 – a score that would place him second in Ten Hag's squad in 2022/23 – across 32 league appearances and chipped in with an outstanding 11 goals and ten assists from his midfield position.

FBref have listed De Bruyne as one of the most similar players to the English whiz based on their respective displays that term, as the Belgian phenomenon scored 15 goals and assisted eight in 30 top-flight matches for City, and they both ranked in the top 7% of players in their position for progressive passes per 90 in the Premier League that season.

This shows that both players are creative playmakers that have the quality to deliver goals and assists on a regular basis while also being able to progress the play at an outstanding rate with their passing ability to get their teammates into positions higher up the pitch in order to give them a greater chance of being able to make things happen in the final third.

No United player, aside from Marcus Rashford, scored more than eight league goals during the 2022/23 season, and no one produced more than eight assists.

Therefore, the potential is there for the Blues magician, who was once hailed as "outstanding" by ex-Arsenal attacker Paul Merson, to be a De Bruyne-esque player in midfield for Ten Hag with his goal contributions and progressive play, if the manager can help him back to his best.

علّق برونو فرنانديز، قائد فريق مانشستر يونايتد، على فوزهم في مباراة اليوم أمام إيفرتون في إطار منافسات بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وفاز مانشستر يونايتد بهدفين دون رد، في الجولة الثامنة والعشرين من بطولة الدوري، اليوم السبت (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

وقال برونو فرنانديز في تصريحات نشرتها شبكة “بي بي سي” العالمية: “نعلم أنه يتعين علينا الفوز في كل مباراة نخوضها، نحن نعرف مركزنا في الدوري وهذا ليس كافيًا بالنسبة لنا”.

وأضاف: “نريد محاولة الوصول إلى المراكز المؤهلة إلى دوري أبطال أوروبا، نعلم أن الأمر سيكون صعبًا وشاقًا، ولكن علينا الفوز بهذه المباريات”.

وواصل: “علينا أن نفوز في كل مباراة، لم نفز على فولهام، لم يكن ذلك جيدًا بدرجة كافية، وكذلك أمام مانشستر سيتي، لم نفز في مباراتين متتاليتين، أصبح الأمر صعبًا”.

واستكمل: “أستون فيلا يؤدي بشكل جيد حقًا، في بعض اللحظات يكون توتنهام جيدًا كذلك، سيكون الأمر أكثر صعوبة بالنسبة لنا منهم ولكن علينا أن نضغط”.

وعن منحه ضربة الجزاء الثانية لـ ماركوس راشفورد من أجل تنفيذها، أجاب: “كلانا ينفذ ركلات الجزاء، سألت ماركوس إذا كان يريد تنفيذها وقال إنه واثق”.

واختتم: “إنه أحد منفذي ركلات الجزاء الذين يختارهم المدرب، شعرت أنني حصلت على ركلتي وسجلت منها، وراشفورد تمكن من تسجيل هدفه من ركلة الجزاء”.

A round-up of the second day’s play from the seventh-round matches from Group B of the Ranji Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Nov-2016A century from Chirag Khurana and three wickets from the in-form Anupam Sanklecha left Maharashtra in a dominant position against Assam at the IIT-Chemplast ground in Chennai. Khurana, who began the day batting on 14, finished unbeaten on 112 as he helped Maharashtra’s last five wickets add 190 to their overnight total. They were eventually bowled out for 542. Khurana stretched his overnight partnership with wicketkeeper-batsman Vishant More (48) from 25 to 124, and added a further 68 with Sanklecha for the eighth wicket. Abu Nechim Ahmed and Syed Mohammad were Assam’s most successful bowlers, picking up three wickets apiece.Sanklecha – who picked up two seven-fors in his most recent game, against Vidarbha – then came back and ripped out three wickets to leave Assam 13 for 2 and then 56 for 3, before the opener Rishav Das (53*) added an unbroken 76 for the fourth wicket with Kunal Saikia (38*) to steer them to 132 for 3 at stumps, still trailing by 410.Rishabh Pant continued his run of form, scoring a rapid half-century to help Delhi take the first-innings lead against Rajasthan in Wayanad. Resuming on 37 for 0, Delhi were bowled out for 307, with seamers Pankaj Singh and Tanvir Ul-Haq taking three wickets each. Rajasthan ended the day 19 for 1 in their second innings and trailing by 50.Delhi’s openers stretched their overnight partnership to 52 before both fell in the space of four balls, Gautam Gambhir for 10 and Shikhar Dhawan for 38. Unmukt Chand (32) and Nitish Rana (24) added 51 for the third wicket, before Pant walked in at No. 5 and proceeded to score 75 of Delhi’s next 93 runs. He was fifth out with Delhi still trailing by 42, having scored his runs off 59 balls, with nine fours and three sixes. Delhi lost two more quick wickets and were 204 for 7 before Milind Kumar (42) and Sumit Narwal (34 off 25) steered them into the lead with a 54-run eighth-wicket stand. With Vikas Tokas (18) and Nitin Saini (16*) making useful contributions as well, Delhi stretched their lead to 69.Half-centuries from Biplab Samantray and Saurabh Rawat hauled Odisha out of a tight spot and into a sizeable lead against Karnataka at the Palam ground in Delhi. Replying to Karnataka’s 179, Odisha were 140 for 6 when wicketkeeper Rawat joined Samantray. They proceeded to add 106 for the seventh wicket in 34.4 overs before Samantray was out to the legspinner Shreyas Gopal for 58.Shreyas then dismissed Suryakant Pradhan (23) and Rawat, for 85 off 124 balls, to end the day with figures of 5 for 73. Odisha were 318 for 9 at stumps, leading by 139, with Basant Mohanty and Alok Mangaraj adding an unbroken 26 for the last wicket.A 171-run opening stand between Sanjay Ramaswamy and Faiz Fazal moved Vidarbha within sight of taking the first-innings lead against Saurashtra at the Karnail Singh Stadium in Delhi. At stumps, Vidarbha were 242 for 3, trailing by 59.Saurashtra had to wait till the 59th over of the day to taste any success, and used nine bowlers. Eventually, it was the part-timer Prerak Mankad who had Sanjay lbw for 77 to claim his first wicket in his third first-class match. Another part-timer, Amitoze Singh, then dismissed Fazal for 94, before the offspinner Vandit Jivranjani, sent back Ganesh Satish to have Vidarbha 223 for 3. Shalabh Shrivastava (31*) and Jitesh Sharma (6* off 41) saw out the rest of the day, putting on an unbroken partnership of 19 in 13.4 overs.