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A crucial afternoon awaits for Chelsea.

Going into the final day of the Premier League season, the Blues kick off in fifth place, thereby occupying the final Champions League spot, but are far from guaranteed to remain there.

Their hosts, Nottingham Forest, are just a point behind Enzo Maresca’s team, so, defeat at the City Ground would see them slip out of the Champions League places and, assuming Aston Villa avoid defeat at Old Trafford simultaneously, the Blues would end up seventh.

This would mean, if they’re then also beaten by Real Betis in Wednesday’s Conference League Final in Wrocław, they would end up back in next season’s Conference League, which absolutely no Chelsea supporter wants to come to pass.

Given all of that, there is so much for Maresca’s men to play for on the pitch while, off it, plans are already coming together for next season, so could Chelsea land a new striker?

Chelsea's search for a new striker

According to a report by Cahê Mota of Brazilian outlet Globo, Chelsea have made a €60m (around £51m) offer to sign Brighton & Hove Albion forward João Pedro, adding that the Blues are attempting to ‘speed up negotiations’, hoping to have the star in place ahead of the Club World Cup.

Well, the 23-year-old appears likely to be on the move at some point this summer because, as documented by Steve Sutcliffe of BBC Sport, Pedro will not be involved when the Seagulls face Spurs on Sunday, have also not been in the matchday squad to take on Liverpool last Monday either, following a ‘training ground altercation’ with teammate Jan Paul van Hecke.

Despite this, the Brazilian is still a sought-after striker, with presenter Sam Ucko labelling him a ‘special player’ who is destined to go to ‘the very top’, so could he be on his way to Stamford Bridge?

Chelsea's search for their next great striker

As noted by Richard Jolly of Four Four Two, Chelsea have had their fair share of striker flops through the years; the names Andriy Shevchenko, Chris Sutton, Adrian Mutu, Mateja Kežman, and many others immediately spring to mind.

In fact, one could argue that Chelsea have not had a clinical centre-forward since the days of Diego Costa.

After arriving from Atlético Madrid in the summer of 2014 for a reported £32m, the Spanish international scored 59 goals in 120 appearances for the Blues, winning two Premier League titles and the EFL Cup, also named in the PFA Team of the Year at the end of his first campaign in England.

The table below outlines all the Blues’ highest-scoring centre-forwards in the last decade.

2014/15

Diego Costa

20

21

2015/16

Diego Costa

12

16

2016/17

Diego Costa

20

22

2017/18

Álvaro Morata

11

15

2018/19

Olivier Giroud

2

13

2019/20

Tammy Abraham

15

18

2020/21

Tammy Abraham

6

12

2021/22

Romelu Lukaku

8

15

2022/23

Kai Havertz

7

9

2023/24

Nicolas Jackson

14

17

2024/25

Nicolas Jackson

10

12

As the table outlines, no Chelsea centre-forward has reached 20 goals across all competitions since Costa’s departure, while noting that Eden Hazard in 2018/19 as well as Cole Palmer last season did reach this milestone, albeit, of course, neither of those are strikers.

So, could João Pedro change this fact?

Well, let’s look at his statistics this season to help answer this question.

Minutes

1,948

170th

Goals

10

19th

Goals per 90

0.46

17th

Assists

6

26th

Goals + assists per 90

0.74

9th

Shots per 90

1.94

59th

Goals – xG

+1.1

65th

Shot-creating actions

72

72nd

Goal-creating actions

9

63rd

As the table outlines, despite limited minutes, Pedro has managed ten Premier League goals this season, thereby ranking very highly for goals-per-90 in particular.

This is on top of the 20 goals he managed last season, six of which came in the Europa League, a very impressive return during his debut campaign with the Seagulls and would have been the highest by any Chelsea striker since Costa left.

Adrian Clarke of the Premier League praises the Brazilian’s ‘versatility’ as well as his quick movement and ability to ‘dribble past players with ease’, while Liam Tharme of the Athletic underlines how his ‘technical prowess’ allows him to drop deep and get involved in the build-up play.

Meantime, Shay Hicks of Talent Football Scout asserts that Pedro ‘would thrive with higher-quality teammates’, so could he be on his way to Chelsea, possibly becoming the striker they’ve spent nigh on a decade searching for?

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ByRoss Kilvington May 23, 2025

Liverpool clinched their 20th Premier League title on Sunday, thrashing Tottenham Hotspur to bestow upon Anfield the hometown celebrations they have craved for 35 years.

The wider squad came together in a huddle of pure joy as they danced across the pitch and celebrated in front of the wide-beaming supporters. However, one or two may have felt the niggling concern that this is their final trophy in a Liverpool shirt.

Diogo Jota, for example, sadly doesn’t look to have the same snap and athleticism he once had, the 28-year-old only scoring one goal across 15 appearances since recovering from muscular issues in January.

But Darwin Nunez is the player widely expected to be leaving this summer, having fallen by the wayside after his club-record £85m move from Benfica in 2022, with Fabrizio Romano confirming the news on several occasions.

The club need a new star at number nine, but who that might be is as yet indeterminable.

24/25

43 (17)

7

7

22/23

54 (33)

18

15

21/22

42 (26)

15

4

One thing’s for sure, Liverpool miss Bobby Firmino in his pomp.

Why Liverpool miss Bobby Firmino

It was perhaps summed up best when Nunez was played through on goal and had the chance to add a sixth as Liverpool laid siege on Spurs’ flimsy defences and claimed the Premier League title.

The Uruguayan, drained of confidence after three testing years on Merseyside, opted against striking on goal himself, sealing some form of poetic justice in capping off the title-winning result, and instead played a pass across goal to the onrushing Salah.

Firmino would have played the pass with weighted perfection. Or, perhaps, he would have recognised that striking on goal himself was by far the best option, and done just that.

Nunez, sadly, lacks in temperament what he boasts in tenacity and toughness, and after Jurgen Klopp and now Arne Slot have failed to crack the nut, Firmino’s replacement is set to leave, with a new version of the silky Brazilian targeted once again.

While Firmino’s unique take on the striker’s game is not something readily replicable, FSG are looking to sign a player with a noteworthy technical quality, actually gearing up to hijack another club’s deal.

Liverpool ready to hijack deal for new centre forward

As per TEAMtalk, Liverpool are gearing up to land a hijack on Inter Milan this summer, with the Serie A title contenders pushing to sign Jonathan David when his contract at LOSC Lille expires this summer.

Inter presented their offer to David’s camp in March and are confident that they are getting closer toward an agreement, though the temptation of Saudi Arabian riches is there and Arsenal and West Ham United want to add him to their ranks too.

While opting for a free transfer might feel somewhat deflating, David is a clinical striker with a ball-playing game that most strikers don’t boast. In that way, he could prove to be a Firmino-esque presence at number nine once again, albeit with a wildly different take.

Why Jonathan David would be perfect for Liverpool

David is a talented goalscorer, sure, but he’s also known to have a crisp and intelligent passing game. It’s one which could see him grow into a role as Slot’s very own version of Firmino, with Nunez having failed in his season-long audition for that role.

The 33-year-old didn’t score every game, but he was so important in engineering a sense of unmatched fluency, centred between Salah and Sadio Mane.

In David, Liverpool might find their best striker since the attacking maestro, one whose goalscoring skills are actually above those of both Firmino and Nunez. Indeed, since the Canadian star left Gent and signed for Lille back in 2020, he’s scored 109 goals and supplied 29 assists across 229 outings.

24/25

47

25

11

0.77

23/24

47

26

9

0.74

22/23

40

26

4

0.75

21/22

48

19

0

0.40

20/21

48

13

5

0.37

Still only 25, David has demonstrated incremental growth across his five campaigns in France, with his last three campaigns establishing him as a top-class goalscorer with creative qualities to applaud.

This newfound creativity is a product of his much-improved ball game. As per FBref, David actually ranks among the top 1% of centre-forwards across Europe over the past year for pass completion, with an average success rate of 83.4%.

Firmino had plenty of tricks and flicks, but David doesn’t embroider his football with such fleet feet. He’s more economical, but that suits Slot.

The Dutch tactician is sure to be looking for a striker with a proven track record in front of goal while adding a bit flair and, most importantly, coherence to the attacking ranks.

Nunez, for example, has completed just 68% of his passes over the past year, putting him among the bottom 35% of strikers for that metric.

When Canadian football expert Tony Marinaro described David as “one of the best strikers in the world” back in 2022, many undoubtedly scoffed at such a high-held opinion.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

But consistency is the key. Just ask Nunez, for his big Liverpool move has been derailed by a distinct lack of the stuff.

David has all the ingredients to become a success for the Anfield side. He’s scored ten goals in the Champions League already (including against Liverpool this season), having played just 18 matches.

The Canada international is athletic, powerful and pacy with a crispness in possession that Firmino would be proud of.

Oh, he’s not cut from the same cloth as Liverpool’s dazzler, but then no one is. But David has a style of play, and it’s an approach which really could work a treat for Slot’s title-winning side.

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1 ByAngus Sinclair Apr 28, 2025

Sheffield United must simply get back to winning ways in the Championship on Good Friday or their promotion push will be significantly derailed once more.

Indeed, heading into this must-win fixture versus relegation-threatened Cardiff City at Bramall Lane, Chris Wilder’s Blades are now without a victory from their last three outings in the second tier, whilst Leeds United and Burnley continue to pull off results to push away inside the coveted top two.

Regardless of what fate awaits the South Yorkshire giants, this coming summer transfer window looks likely to be a busy one, with one defender already being linked to join Wilder’s ranks.

United's interest in new £15m man

The United boss will be well aware that a minor rebuild will need to take place when the window swings back open, owing to the multitude of loanees that currently call the Blades home, among other factors at play.

One problem area for the promotion chasers that will presumably be addressed is the centre-back department, with Rob Holding needing to be drafted in as a late arrival in January here to boost numbers, away from Wilder’s regulars.

United’s new chosen man could well be £15m-rated Sunderland centre-back Daniel Ballard, with reports recently revealing that there’s interest on the end of the South Yorkshire side involving the ex-Arsenal youth product.

With 112 Championship career games under his belt, the experienced 25-year-old would be a worthwhile addition to the Bramall Lane camp, but his sketchy injury record – which has seen him be sidelined for a weighty 26 games this season – could put off Wilder and Co forking out an excessive £15m.

Instead, alternative targets could be looked at, or Wilder might pull all his trust in this defensive star already at his disposal who is amazingly worth more than Ballard’s steep valuation.

The "dominant" United star worth more than Ballard

After all, the defender in question here can already boast Premier League experience with the Blades over Ballard’s EFL-centric career path, having tallied up 31 top-flight appearances to date.

Of course, Anel Ahmedhodzic won’t look back on his Premier League voyage with United fondly – considering his lowly side finished rock bottom of the pile at the end of the 2023/24 season – but he’s more than bounced back this campaign as Wilder’s men attempt to instantly return.

The “dominant” defender – as he was once lauded by football talent scout Jacek Kulig – has been a stalwart of his manager’s reinvigorated XI all season long, with this goal one of three goal contributions he’s managed to chip in with from 34 league clashes.

More importantly, over firing home crucial winners such as the one versus Middlesbrough, the Bosnian has also been a reliable brick wall when many a Championship side has bombed forward attempting to breach the Blades, with the 26-year-old colossus picking up a hefty 14 clean sheets along the way.

Ahmedhodzic’s league numbers for United (24/25)

Stat – per 90 mins*

Ahmedhodzic

Matches played

34

Goals scored

2

Assists

1

Touches*

59.8

Accurate passes*

43.1 (90%)

Ball recoveries*

3.6

Clearances*

4.6

Total duels won*

3.9

Clean sheets

14

Value when joining

£5.1m

Value now

£20m

Stats by Sofascore

These regular standout showings – as can be seen glancing at his impressive numbers above – make United’s move to land the ex-Nottingham Forest man for just £5.1m back in 2022 look like a great steal, considering past transfer rumours surrounding Ahmedhodzic hint that he now has a £20m price tag above his head.

With Wilder also having the likes of experienced head Jack Robinson to call upon here, a splurge of £15m to land Ballard might not be deemed necessary after all, especially if other cheaper targets are out there.

Before any possible new faces enter through the door, however, United will be desperate to make their promotion dreams a reality, with Ahmedhodzic needing to remain rock solid during some crunch clashes to come.

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Posts ByKelan Sarson Apr 15, 2025

While the mood around Arsenal’s domestic campaign has turned from disappointment to apathy, it shouldn’t be forgotten just how stop-start this season has been for the North Londoners.

For example, on top of losing their captain for a couple of months and their only two centre-forwards, the Gunners had to make do without their best player for almost four months.

Expecting Mikel Arteta’s squad to be at their best without Bukayo Saka would be like asking Liverpool to be at their best without Mohammed Salah or Manchester City to do the same without Erling Haaland.

In fact, it wouldn’t be hyperbole to place the Englishman among the very best wingers in the world now, so fans should be excited about recent reports linking the club with another international wideman who’s won comparisons not just with Saka but also fellow wonderkid Lamine Yamal.

Arsenal transfer news

Before we get to the player in question, it’s worth looking at some of the other star wingers linked with a move to Arsenal this summer, such as Nico Williams.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The Spaniard’s representatives have supposedly already held talks with Andrea Berta and, with a release clause worth around £52m, this feels like a move that could happen, and as he’s amassed an impressive tally of 17 goal involvements in 41 games this term, perhaps one that should.

An even more expensive winger touted for a move to the Emirates earlier this month was Rafael Leo, who looks like he may finally leave AC Milan at the end of the season.

However, while the Portuguese superstar has racked up a brilliant tally of 22 goal involvements in 44 games this season, he could cost up to £86m, which might make a move for him prohibitively expensive, which may not be the case for Kingsley Coman.

Yes, according to a recent report from Sky Sports Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg, Arsenal have maintained their interest in the French winger.

Plettenberg has revealed that the Gunners are “in ongoing communication” with the player’s management and that it now looks all but certain that he’ll be leaving Bayern Munich in the summer.

However, Saudi Arabia “is a very appealing option” for the former Paris Saint Germain ace, and according to reports from last week, he could cost up to £39m, which may be seen as a steep amount considering his game time this season.

With that said, Coman is an undeniably talented player and one who has won comparisons to both Saka and Yamal, so should this transfer happen, he’d undoubtedly improve the quality of Arsenal’s squad.

How Coman compares to Saka & Yamal

So, before getting into some of the other benefits of signing Coman this summer, it’s worth first examining these comparisons to Saka and Yamal and where they come from.

Well, in this instance, they stem from FBref, which looks at players in similar positions in Europe’s top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League then creates a list of the ten most comparable players for each one and, in this instance, has concluded that the Englishman is the seventh most similar attacking midfielder or winger to the Frenchman and the Spaniard is the ninth.

The best way to see where this comparison has come from is to look at the underlying metrics in which the trio rank closely, including, but not limited to, non-penalty expected goals, shots on target, goals per shot on target, tackles won, expected assists and more, all per 90.

Non-Penalty Expected Goals

0.32

0.29

0.29

Shots on Target

1.29

1.19

1.16

Goals per Shot on Target

0.27

0.28

0.20

Expected Assists

0.34

0.39

0.34

Tackles Won

0.85

0.86

0.89

Moreover, like the two Barcelona and Arsenal stars, the Bayern ace also broke onto the scene when incredibly young, making his competitive debut for Paris Saint-Germain at just 16 years old before winning titles in Italy with Juventus and Germany with FC Hollywood.

It’s this experience, which is almost an expectation, to win which could be incredibly beneficial to have in Arteta’s squad from next season, as for all the talent currently there, none are proven winners in the same way as the “world-class” Frenchman, as dubbed by former manager Julian Nagelsmann, is.

Ultimately, while he might not be a guaranteed starter like Saka is, Coman would undoubtedly bring an immense level of experience and quality to Arsenal’s squad were he to join this summer, and therefore, he’s someone Arteta and Co should be looking to bring in.

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ByDominic Lund Apr 14, 2025

It’s never straightforward with Manchester United, is it?

With just seconds remaining, the Red Devils looked to have secured an invaluable first-leg win over Lyon on Thursday evening, with Joshua Zirkzee’s late header steering the visitors into a deserved 2-1 lead on the night. And then…

With almost the last kick of the game, the Ligue 1 side ensured that this Europa League tussle is very much alive heading into next week’s reverse fixture at Old Trafford, with Rayan Cherki pouncing at the death to dink home.

The French outfit had initially taken the lead courtesy of Thiago Almada’s free-kick, albeit with United hitting back in first-half stoppage time, as Leny Yoro netted his first goal for the club with an inventive, glancing header.

Zirkzee’s own bullet header at the backpost looked to have been enough to seal the win, yet as it is, the tie is certainly still finely poised – largely thanks to the impact of one man, Andre Onana…

Andre Onana's costly display

Quite what Onana was thinking prior to the match – when insisting that the Red Devils are “way better” than their opponents – is difficult to fathom, with the Cameroonian ‘keeper engaging in a war of words with ex-Old Trafford star, Nemanja Matic.

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ByStephan Georgiou Apr 9, 2025

While the Serbian giant watched on from the substitutes bench, one of the “worst goalkeepers in Man Utd’s history” – as so dubbed by Matic – was very much in the thick of the action. Having talked the talk, the 28-year-old, unfortunately, couldn’t walk the walk.

In almost inevitable fashion, it was Onana’s blunder that allowed Lyon to sneak into the lead in the opening exchanges, with the former Inter man failing to deal with Almada’s relatively routine in-swinging set-piece.

The £47.5m flop – who has now made more errors since the start of last season than any other Premier League goalkeeper in all competitions – looked to have got away with one as both Yoro and Zirkzee nodded home, with the experienced stopper even taking the time to rile up the home crowd even further when taking a typically laboured goal kick late on.

Much to the delight of the hosts, however, it was they who would have the last laugh, with Onana proceeding to spill the ball into the path of the lively Cherki at the death, with the dazzling Frenchman duly converting.

From one horrow show to another then as far as United are concerned, with Ruben Amorim also likely to be deeply frustrated by the performance of a man at the other end of the pitch, in Rasmus Hojlund.

The Man Utd star who now needs to be sold

Talk is already rife that Amorim is seeking a new goalkeeper this summer, with reports also suggesting that Onana has been the subject of interest from clubs in Saudi Arabia, amid the possibility of an end to his two-season stay in Manchester.

Performance in Numbers

Want data and stats? Football FanCast’s Performance in Numbers series provides you with the latest match analysis from across Europe.

On current evidence, the one-time Ajax star could well be joined through the exit door by young Hojlund, with the 22-year-old looking like a player who “will be up for sale” at the end of the season, in the words of journalist Tom McDermott.

Branded with a 4/10 match rating from MEN correspondent, Samuel Luckhurst, the struggling Dane was again simply lifeless in attack for the away side, having been restricted to just 11 touches, while making just two passes in total on the night.

Minutes played

63′

Touches

11

Shots on target

1

Shots off target

1

Passes completed

2/3

Key passes

2

Ground duels

0/3

Aerial duels

N/A

Possession lost

3x

Fouls

1

While those were both recognised as ‘key passes’, the former Atalanta starlet did little of any note prior to his withdrawal on the hour mark, with the misfiring striker failing to pounce on a rare opening after scuffing his attempt wide following Patrick Dorgu’s pull-back.

The £85k-per-week marksman – who also failed to win a single duel up against the Lyon backline – memorably passed the ball out of play down the right flank at one stage, having also drawn the ire of Bruno Fernandes after failing to read the Portuguese playmaker’s dummy inside the area.

Whether it be failing to beat his man when running in behind, or struggling to keep hold of possession, Hojlund simply looks lost at present, having now scored just once in all competitions since mid-December.

With only eight goals to his name across all fronts this season, United’s number nine – who has been linked with a return to Serie A – appears to be on borrowed time, not least with speculation ramping up regarding the potential addition of Ipswich Town talisman, Liam Delap.

Having seen his replacement, Zirkzee, take little time to make an impact, Hojlund must surely be second fiddle ahead of next week’s meeting at the Theatre of Dreams. Much like Onana too, this Erik ten Hag signing could find himself on the scrap heap this summer.

No longer can the Red Devils accept mediocrity at both ends of the pitch.

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1 ByRobbie Walls Apr 10, 2025

And is Harry Brook the youngest Test triple-centurion?

Steven Lynch15-Oct-2024Pakistan lost the first Test against England by an innings despite scoring over 550 in their first innings. What’s the highest score for a team losing by an innings? asked Bernard Woodhams from New Zealand

Pakistan’s 556 against England in Multan was the highest in any Test that was not enough to avoid an innings defeat. The previous record was set fairly recently: Ireland made 492 in Galle in April 2023 , but went on to lose by an innings and ten runs after Sri Lanka declared at 704 for 3.There have been only four higher Test totals that were not enough to insure against defeat. The highest of all remains Bangladesh’s 595 for 8 declared against New Zealand in Wellington in January 2017. Australia made 586 against England in Sydney in December 1894, but lost narrowly even though England followed on; Pakistan scored 579 against England in Rawalpindi in December 2022 but lost; and they also tasted defeat despite making 574 for 8 declared against Australia in Melbourne in 1972-73.This list shows all 19 occasions when a total of 500 or more has not been enough to avoid defeat in a Test. This was the third time in the current century that a team had been bowled out for exactly 556 in a Test – and all three of those ended in defeat.The only higher total in all first-class cricket to result in an innings defeat is Leicestershire’s 584 in a County Championship match at Grace Road in July 2022 – Glamorgan replied with 795 for 5 then bowled the home side out for 183.Six Pakistan bowlers conceded 100 runs in England’s huge innings at Multan. Has this happened before in a Test? asked Aminul Islam from Bangladesh

You’re right that six Pakistan bowlers conceded at least 100 runs in England’s massive total of 823 for 7 in Multan last week. This has happened only once before in a Test: six Zimbabweans went for 100 or more as Sri Lanka hurtled to 713 for 3 declared in Bulawayo in May 2004. But there was a near-miss in Kingston in June 1955, when five West Indians conceded at least 100 runs in Australia’s total of 758 for 8 declared, while Garry Sobers finished with 1 for 99.Was Harry Brook the youngest to score a Test triple-century? asked Casey Dewar from Australia

Rather surprisingly perhaps, 25-year-old Harry Brook comes in quite low on this particular list: ten of the 28 Test triple-centurions were younger when they first achieved the feat. Youngest of all was Garry Sobers, who was 21 when he made 365 not out against Pakistan in Kingston early in 1958. Don Bradman was also 21 – but about three months older – when he hit 304 for Australia against England at Headingley in July 1930.The only younger man to score a triple-century for England is another Yorkshireman, Len Hutton, who was 22 when he amassed 364 against Australia at The Oval in August 1938.England do have the two oldest Test triple-centurions: Andy Sandham was three months short of his 40th birthday when he made 325 (the first Test triple-century) against West Indies in Kingston in April 1930, while Graham Gooch was 37 when he cracked 333 against India at Lord’s in July 1990.Brook is the 11th youngest batter to score a triple-hundred, and the second youngest from England•Getty ImagesBrydon Carse hit the second ball he faced in a Test for six at Multan. Was this a record? asked Jim Macaulay from England

You’re right that Brydon Carse got off the mark in Tests with a six off Saim Ayub in Multan last week. He was the 15th* man whose first scoring shot in Tests was a six, but the first for England.Carse hit his six off the second ball he faced. The only man to hit the first ball he received in a Test for six was the New Zealander Mark Craig, off Sulieman Benn of West Indies in Kingston in June 2014. India’s Rishabh Pant also got off the mark with a second-ball six on debut, off England’s Adil Rashid at Trent Bridge in August 2018.Was India’s 297 the other day the highest score in a T20 international? asked Vivek Vishwarao from India

India’s remarkable 20-over total of 297 for 6 in Hyderabad at the weekend, which set up a big win and a series sweep over Bangladesh, was the second-highest in all men’s T20Is, behind Nepal’s 314 for 3 against Mongolia (who were then bowled out for 41) in the Asian Games in Hangzhou (China) in September 2023.The previous-highest total in a match involving Test-playing nations was Afghanistan’s 278 for 3 against Ireland in Dehradun in 2019.There have been five totals of over 300 in women’s T20Is, with the highest being an eye-watering 427 for 1 by Argentina against Chile in Buenos Aires in October 2023. Two days later, Argentina ran up 333 for 1 against the Chileans. The highest in a match involving two Test-playing nations is England’s 250 for 3 against South Africa in Taunton in June 2018.*Oct 16, 02:20 GMT: A correction was made to reflect that Carse was the 15th and not the 13th man whose first scoring shot in Tests was a six.Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

Punjab Kings, on the other hand, have chopped and changed, and struggled to narrow down on combinations

Shashank Kishore07-May-20225:43

Vettori: Kings doing themselves a disservice by not batting Livingstone at No. 4

Punjab Kings chop and change. Rajasthan Royals don’t.Both sides rehashed their squads at the mega auction, with six-hitting a big focus area. Royals have hit 102 sixes, the most this season. Kings are second with 82. Surely that means one lesser headache, right?It depends on which camp you are a part of.Kings have compounded their woes in trying to achieve “balance” even now, with just three games left for them. Royals have trusted their set formula through thick and thin and are having their best season since 2018. A playoff spot is not too far away as they sit pretty at No. 3.Questions over Kings’ batting plans fail to leave them. If KL Rahul’s strike rate was among the major talking points last until year, their management of batting resources has been under the spotlight this time.Sure, go big or go home has been their mantra. It has paid off on some nights, like in their opener when they shredded Royal Challengers Bangalore in chasing down 206 with an over to spare. On other nights, like against Delhi Capitals, this has spectacularly backfired.But now, with the season entering its business end and Kings reaching must-win territory, they have had to recalibrate that approach. Which is perhaps the genesis of their chop-change policy.Jonny Bairstow, who formed one half of a fearsome batting combine up top with David Warner at Sunrisers Hyderabad, had scores of 8, 12, 12, 9, 6 and 32 in the middle order. This may have warranted a change most times. But their other overseas option – Odean Smith – is an allrounder whose bowling has been a bit of a letdown. Perhaps, the thinking is playing him as a batter alone is too much of a gamble.One of the workarounds they have devised is to move up Bairstow to open with Shikhar Dhawan. But this has come at the cost of pushing Mayank Agarwal, the captain, into unfamiliar territory in the middle order. Until this IPL, he had batted outside the top three just five times in T20s since 2014.His game is suited to taking on bowlers in the powerplay, like he did in 2020 and 2021. Opening has formed the basis of his batting across formats. It’s not something captains generally buy into, especially if you’re a new captain in your maiden season.While it speaks highly of their flexibility, it also perhaps tells you the kind of quick fixes they have had to find the moment they realised their Plan A of going hell or high water needed a tweak.In comparison, Royals have shown remarkable role clarity.Riyan Parag is a case in point. They have trained him to be a finisher. But for someone who gets a handful of deliveries, he hadn’t been able to make much of an impact in the first half. They continued to back him. In his seventh game, he delivered by bailing the team out with a match-winning half-century against Royal Challengers.He did so by playing a role he isn’t accustomed to. He had to shelve his big hitting, take the innings deep and then tee off. Like Parag, they were clear upfront that Devdutt Padikkal had to be prepared to bat at three or four, and not up top like he had with some degree of success with Royal Challengers. It’s a different matter that Padikkal has blown hot and cold.2:50

Vettori: Kings will look back and say they were 15 runs short

Jos Buttler’s no-holds-barred approach stems from the team management’s freedom given to him, the reward for which is the Orange Cap. Sanju Samson has been their enforcer at No. 3. Shimron Hetmyer, along with Parag, their designated end-overs specialists with the bat.The effect of that confidence was seen on Saturday when he finished the game off for Royals despite the asking rate mounting courtesy Padikkal’s struggles. At times, Royals have held him back and promoted even R Ashwin up the order to ensure Hetmyer is able to play the kind of role Dinesh Karthik does for Royal Challengers, and he hasn’t let them down.With the ball, Prasidh Krishna has been a new ball specialist and middle-orders operator. Yuzvendra Chahal and R Ashwin have been their bankers, coming into the game based on situations and match-ups. Trent Boult hasn’t been the same wicket-taking force he is known to be.After a roaring start to the season – seven wickets in four games at an economy rate of 7.30 – Boult is amid a form slump. He went wicketless for three games in a row with an economy rate of 10.4. Among 28 bowlers to have bowled more than seven overs between overs 15-20, Boult’s economy rate of 13.62 is the worst. Yet they have backed him to do a job.This isn’t to say Royals haven’t erred. But they have quickly learnt from it. The yo-yo’ing of Robin Uthappa from 2020 hasn’t been seen. They have tactically changed players depending on conditions and surfaces, like they did on Saturday by reintroducing Yashasvi Jaiswal in place of Karun Nair.Jaiswal fed off Buttler’s aggression to peel off a half-century and while his dismissal could have potentially caused a bit of a stir, Royals still had enough batting in the tank to get home. This same confidence of backing players hasn’t quite been seen consistently with Kings.Early in the season, in trying to fix something that wasn’t broken, they benched an in-form Bhanuka Rajapaksa, whose bruising cameos at No. 3 gave them a turbocharge. Then they hinged their bets on Smith, only for the idea to fail, leading to him being benched.They shelved the experiment of playing Vaibhav Arora, the fast bowler, just when he was beginning to get into his groove. In came Sandeep Sharma, but he has hardly looked a threat when one of his major allies – swing – isn’t present. In short, Kings have struggled to narrow down on combinations with just three games left for them.For a franchise that has far too often changed their coaching roster and been prone to knee-jerk reactions, they somewhat bucked the trend when Anil Kumble was entrusted with the job of building a title-winning side in 2020. But things haven’t gone to plan, yet again.They first lost Ashwin. Then Rahul. This year, they assembled a strong squad that fans and pundits believed would go all the way. Those hopes hang by a thread as they are getting close to that all-too-familiar territory of having to win all games to remain in contention.

And which Test players were nicknamed “Big Dog” and “Little Dog”?

Steven Lynch07-Apr-2020Which Test captain was most often dismissed by his opposite number? Was it Sunil Gavaskar by Imran Khan? asked Gyanendra Singh from India

Sunil Gavaskar was dismissed five times by Imran Khan in Tests in which they were both captain. This equals the record for a pair: England’s Ted Dexter fell to Richie Benaud five times, all during the 1962-63 Ashes in Australia. Gavaskar was also dismissed twice by Bob Willis during India’s series in England in 1982, making a total of seven. But the leader in this regard is Clive Lloyd, who was dismissed by his opposite number on no fewer than nine occasions in Tests – four times by Kapil Dev, twice by Bishan Bedi and Tony Greig, and once by Ian Botham.Benaud dismissed his rival captain on a record 18 occasions; Imran is next with 15. Jason Holder leads the way for current players – so far he has disposed of his opposite number 13 times.Which Test players were nicknamed “Big Dog” and “Little Dog”? asked Denis Collinson from Australia

This was a famous pair of South African brothers – fast bowler Peter Pollock and the superb left-hand batsman Graeme Pollock. Peter, whose son Shaun Pollock also had a glittering Test career, explained the derivation of the names to the Gulf News a few years ago: “I was playing for Eastern Province, and was 17 years old. My voice hadn’t broken. I appealed, and it sounded like a dog barking. Atholl McKinnon named me! When my brother came along, I became Big Dog and he was the Little Dog.”A recent question here mentioned the West Indian Faoud Bacchus, whose 19 Tests all came on different grounds. I noticed that when he made his highest score of 250, he was out hit wicket – was this the highest Test score to end this way? asked Dennis Johnson from Barbados

West Indies’ Faoud Bacchus hit his own wicket after making 250 – his only Test century – against India in Kanpur in 1979-80. It’s actually the second-highest score to end this way: the Australian opener Bill Ponsford hit his own wicket after making 266 against England at The Oval in 1934, in what turned out to be his final Test. There have been 12 other Test scores of over 100 that ended with a hit-wicket dismissal, including another one by Ponsford, in his previous innings – 181 against England at Headingley in 1934.”Little Dog” Graeme Pollock and older brother Peter “Big Dog” Pollock played their last Test in 1970, their careers cut short by South Africa’s sporting isolation•Getty ImagesWho has scored most runs in one-day internationals as an opener? asked Rakesh Bhatia from India

Well clear here is a man who rarely opened in Tests, but adapted beautifully to the role in one-dayers: Sachin Tendulkar made 15,310 runs from the top of the order in ODIs. Sanath Jayasuriya comes next with 12,740, while Chris Gayle has 10,179. Adam Gilchrist and Sourav Ganguly also made more than 9000 runs while opening. For the full list, click here.In Tests, Alastair Cook leads the way with 11,845 runs as an opener, ahead of Sunil Gavaskar (9607) and Graeme Smith (9030). For that list, click here. Gavaskar scored the most centuries as an opener, with 33 to Cook’s 31.What’s the record for the most ducks in a Test? And an ODI? asked Billy Linklater from Ireland

If you mean the most ducks in an innings, the Test record is six, which has happened five times now, most recently when five New Zealanders failed to score against Pakistan in Dubai in 2018-19. The record for an ODI innings is also six, and has also happened five times, most recently by Pakistan v Sri Lanka in Colombo in June 2012.The record for both sides in a Test is 11 ducks, which has happened 12 times now. The most in a one-day international is eight, in the World Cup final between West Indies (three ducks) and England (five) at Lord’s in 1979.Use our
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The 49ers finally ended their hunt for a new manager by hiring Danny Rohl earlier this week and they’ve now revealed the criteria that the German met to be handed the Rangers job.

Cavenagh: Rohl knows "winning is the only option"

Welcoming their new manager after a managerial search full of twists and turns, Rangers chairman Andrew Cavenagh was full of praise for Rohl and told reporters that the German is well aware that “winning is the only option” at Ibrox.

The pressure will be on the 36-year-old from the off, but he represents a young manager full of ambition and full of the style that Russell Martin otherwise lacked in Scotland.

Rohl also admitted his own excitement after taking the job, saying: “I’m really looking forward to being part of this amazing football club. We want to win, we need wins because we want to turn around the position at the moment. I am looking for an ambitious club, a club that is wanting more. This club has everything for all these goals.

“My job is clear. My focus is on my person, what I can bring to this football club. We want to create chances, we want to create goals. We want to defence as a team. We have to win games then we can speak about playing attractive football.”

Secret Rohl talks took place while everyone thought Rangers were after Muscat

This is an intriguing update.

By
Henry Jackson

Oct 20, 2025

He may not have been Rangers’ first choice, but Rohl has ticked a number of boxes in his own right at the 49ers have since revealed exactly why they turned towards the former Sheffield Wednesday boss.

49ers reveal how Rohl met Rangers criteria

Speaking candidly to the fans in a meeting this week, Cavenagh, Kevin Thelwell and Patrick Stewart revealed the criteria that Rohl met to land the Rangers job.

They told supporters that they were looking for a manager who could get the Gers back to winning ways right away, win sustainably over time and win in a way that fans will enjoy watching. Rohl ticked every one of those boxes in the interview stage and beat out two other candidates after Muscat and Gerrard dropped out of the race.

With his counter-pressing system, Rohl’s Rangers side should certainly entertain. Whether that’ll be enough to secure victory is the big question and one that fans will get an answer for this Thursday against Brann in the Europa League.

Italy captain says when he is asked about the plan for the 2026 World Cup, his reply is, they’re planning to “win every game”

Matt Roller12-Jul-2025At least one will play at a next year. Italian football is in chaos: their men’s national team have a proud World Cup history but have failed to reach the last two, and sacked their manager after losing the opening match of their qualifying group for the 2026 edition. But in a small Dutch town on Friday, their cricketers created their own legacy.Italy lost by nine wickets to Netherlands in Voorburg, but Jersey’s win over Scotland earlier in the day – and their own results over the previous week – meant that it did not matter. Instead, Italy wrapped up one of the two spots available at the European Qualifiers for next year’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, the first time that Italy have reached a major ICC event.”It’s still very surreal,” Joe Burns, Italy’s captain, told ESPNcricinfo on Saturday morning. “We’ll probably take a few weeks to get home and decompress a bit to fully realise the impact that the occasion will have on so many people. It was an emotional moment that we’re going to try and reflect on as a group as much as we can over the next few months.”The crucial result for Italy was their 12-run win over Scotland on Wednesday. It was launched by Emilio Gay, the Durham opener, who cracked 50 off 21 balls; set up by Grant Stewart, the Kent allrounder, who hit 44 not out off 27; and sealed by Harry Manenti, who has played a couple of BBL games for Adelaide Strikers, and took 5 for 31 with his medium pace.Those names are reflective of a disparate group of players who are based all over the world, but their heritage provides a common thread. Burns’ own story is typical: his roots are in Calabria, in southern Italy, but his grandfather was a prisoner-of-war in North Africa during the second world war and the family relocated to Australia. He has always felt a connection with Italy, and made his debut for them last year.

“I think we had six Australian-born players in our team yesterday… If we do play Australia and I’m on the field, it’ll obviously be a very special occasion”Joe Burns

It was a long way removed from his first international career, which saw him hit four hundreds in his 23 Tests for Australia. “When you play for Australia, there’s such a history to the baggy green that you’re honouring the past and representing the people that have gone before,” Burns said. “When you’re playing for Italy, it’s very much a blank canvas, trying to shape the future.”Burns first reached out to Cricket Italia in 2009, when qualification rules were stricter, and had to undergo a three-year cooling-off period from his final Australia appearance, in 2020, before he became eligible. But he has thrown himself into his new challenge, taking over the captaincy this summer, and has worn the number 85 shirt in tribute to his late brother, Dominic.”A lot of our grandparents left Italy after World War II, so it’s very much a shared story to come together and to represent past generations,” he said. “I know my grandparents would be very proud, and I know mum and dad have been following the games really closely. There are Italians dispersed all over the world, and I hope this team is a beacon for Italians everywhere.”Burns admires his medal•International Cricket CouncilItaly ramped up preparations for the qualifiers last month with a training camp in Rome, and Burns has demanded the full focus of his team-mates: “I told the guys that I don’t care if we’re playing Luxembourg in the sub-regional qualifiers or India in a T20 World Cup final: I want our team to be the most prepared team in world cricket for every game that we play.”This has all come together on the back of a lot of planning. People ask me what the goal for the World Cup is and I say, ‘Look, we’re planning and preparing to win every game – so we’re planning to win the World Cup.’ I want the guys to enjoy the experience and play with freedom – but you have to earn the right to play with freedom on the back of really solid preparation.”Cricket is a niche sport in Italy, but World Cup qualification will unlock new sources of funding. “It will go a long way for us,” Burns said. “We don’t have any turf facilities, and very little facilities in general, but this gives us an opportunity to develop the game. We’ve had a lot of support from CONI (the Italian Olympic Committee) which keeps building in the background.Time to celebrate after Italy qualified for the T20 World Cup for the first time•International Cricket Council”Associate cricket is very much the grassroots of international cricket, so for us, it’s about trying to unlock funding and build facilities to create opportunities for future generations to come. It’s very rewarding. At different stages in your career, you have different motivations, and I think this came at a really good time for me. It really reinvigorated my love for the game.”Italy will welcome back Wayne Madsen – a man with more than 20,000 runs in county cricket to his name – for the World Cup after he missed the qualifiers due to his Derbyshire commitments, but Burns hinted that he himself may step aside before the main event. “This [qualification] was such a big goal for me,” he said. “It’s probably going to take me a few months to think about it.”But if Burns, 35, does play on, there is one team he would relish the chance to face next year. “We’ve said briefly as a group that we want the big stage. We want to be drawn against the best in the world, and we want to take it on. I think we had six Australian-born players in our team yesterday… If we do play Australia and I’m on the field, it’ll obviously be a very special occasion.”