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حقق مانشستر سيتي فوزاً عريضاً على حساب كريستال بالاس، بثلاثية نظيفة، على ملعب سيلهرست بارك، في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وجاءت أهداف مانشستر سيتي عن طريق إيرلينج هالاند، الذي أحرز ثنائية في الدقيقتين 41 و89 من ركلة جزاء، وفيل فودين في الدقيقة 69.

وارتفع رصيد مانشستر سيتي للنقطة 34 في المركز الثاني بفارق نقطتين عن المتصدر آرسنال، بينما تجمد رصيد كريستال بالاس عند النقطة 26 في المركز الخامس.

اقرأ أيضاً.. جوارديولا: نفضل صدارة الدوري الإنجليزي.. ولاعب مانشستر سيتي لم يقدم أداء جيدًا

ونشرت “سيتي إكسترا” أن بيب جوارديولا أصبح أسرع مدرب يحقق 150 فوزًا في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، عندما يسجل مانشستر سيتي ثلاثة أهداف أو أكثر.

وحقق بيب جوارديولا هذا الإنجاز خلال 358 مباراة، وقد تجاوز المدرب الإسباني رقم السير أليكس فيرجسون مدرب مانشستر يونايتد السابق بـ522 مباراة ورقم أرسين فينجر في 524 مباراة.

India haven’t had a perfect game yet, and they head into Vizag bracing for a battle of resilience

Vishal Dikshit08-Oct-20254:10

Two wins in two, but scratchy start for India?

Big PictureWhen close to 800 runs were scored between India and Australia 10 days before the start of the World Cup, this tournament was being billed as the biggest run-fest of them all. But since then, we have seen South Africa bowled out for 69, India suffer two collapses, the 275 mark breached just once, and even Australia collapse to 76 for 7.The action now moves to Visakhapatnam, the fourth venue of this World Cup, where the Indian team held preparatory camps in the lead up to the tournament, and where five women’s ODIs have been played before, the last in 2014, but none involving South Africa. They arrive here after contrasting results in their first two games, but they have the personnel in terms of batters, spinners and quicks to adapt to whatever the damp conditions in Visakhapatnam throw at them.India’s first two wins were far from their “perfect game,” as Jemimah Rodrigues put it on Wednesday, and with this fixture, they head into a 10-day period of big clashes against South Africa, Australia and England, which could well decide their fate in this home World Cup. South Africa were the ones who had knocked India out of the semi-final race in the last ODI World Cup but they have since been beaten 5-0 by India, including the three ODIs last year in India and the two in the Sri Lanka tri-series earlier this year.With some rain around in this city too, both teams will be desperate to continue their winning ways.Related

Brits and Gardner enter top five in women's ODI batters' rankings

Mithali Raj and Ravi Kalpana to have stands named after them at Vizag stadium

From 69 all out to statement win – South Africa restore World Cup credentials

Stats – Tazmin Brits fastest to seven hundreds in women's ODIs

Form guideIndia WWLWL (last five completed matches, most recen first)
South Africa WLLWWIn the spotlightBetween them, Tazmin Brits and Smriti Mandhana have scored nine of the 29 centuries this year by players from teams in this World Cup. Brits’ five are the most centuries in a calendar year, with Mandhana right on her heels with four. Mandhana, meanwhile, has played five innings more than Brits’ 11 this year and has 959 runs against Brits’ 749. And if Brits recently became the fastest to seven ODI hundreds (in 41 innings), Mandhana had recently smashed the second-fastest ODI century, against world champions Australia.Thursday will see a clash of not just two of the most prolific ODI openers but batters in recent times, who have been rewriting one record book after another. While Brits’ 101 against New Zealand got South Africa their first points, India will hope Mandhana follows on Brits’ footsteps having started the tournament with two low scores.3:04

‘South Africa can’t afford to drop points from here’

Team newsIndia were without Amanjot Kaur for the Pakistan game because of a fever and she will likely be back for this game, having bowled and batted in the nets at length on Tuesday evening. How they slot her back is the question because her replacement Renuka Singh bowled tidily with the new ball and sent down a maiden to finish with 0 for 29 from her 10 overs. India will also wonder if their five-bowler strategy will be good enough against a side that scored 234 in under 41 overs a few days ago. The only way to add a sixth bowler is by dropping a batter, which isn’t straightforward at all.India (possible): 1 Smriti Mandhana, 2 Prtika Rawal, 3 Harleen Deol, 4 Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), 5 Jemimah Rodrigues, 6 Richa Ghosh (wk), 7 Deepti Sharma, 8 Amanjot Kaur, 9 Sneh Rana, 10 Shree Charani, 11 Kranti GoudSouth Africa may not feel the need to change their winning XI from the New Zealand match in Indore although conditions in Visakhapatnam may not be as flat. But the pressure is mounting on Anneke Bosch at No. 5 who has scores of 0, 6 and 10 in her last three ODIs, and South Africa have so far kept out pace-bowling allrounder Annerie Dercksen, being seen as Marizanne Kapp’s successor.South Africa (possible): 1 Laura Wolvaardt (capt), 2 Tazmin Brits, 3 Sune Luss, 4 Marizanne Kapp, 5 Anneke Bosch/ Annerie Dercksen, 6 Sinalo Jafta (wkt), 7 Chloe Tryon, 8 Nadine de Klerk, 9 Masabata Klaas, 10 Ayabonga Khaka, 11 Nonkululeko MlabaPitch and conditionsThere was a brief shower two days before the game and a slightly longer spell the day before, but neither too threatening to pose a threat of a washout on game day. There are some spells expected on Wednesday afternoon too, but not as bad as the one in Colombo for Australia vs Sri Lanka. While keeping with the theme of the other venues of this World Cup these two teams have played at – Indore, Guwahati and Colombo – Visakhapatnam is going to be muggy too, with temperatures capping in the early thirties, but could feel a lot worse. Rodrigues said on match eve a score around 270-odd could be competitive at this ground.Richa Ghosh was in a cheerful mood during India’s training session•ICC via Getty Images

Stats and trivia Marizanne Kapp became the most capped South Africa player in ODIs, with 155 matches, by overtaking Mignon du Preez in their last game. Mandhana has scored three centuries against South Africa and averages 53.29 against them, with 906 runs in 18 innings. Harmanpreet’s average is even better, even if marginally, at 53.46 with 802 runs from 23 outings. Harmanpreet is 84 away from 1000 runs in ODI World Cups. Mithali Raj is the only Indian who has a tally of over 1000 in World Cups and is second overall with 1321 runs behind Debbie Hockley’s 1501. Kapp is four wickets away from equaling Shabnim Ismail (36) for most wickets by a South African at World Cups. Jhulan Goswami leads the list with 43. Quotes “Yes, we have had small contributions from the top order and the middle order. But we have had new match winners every match. So, I feel if an enemy team, the opponent team is seeing us, they will know that we have batting till the end. So maybe if one doesn’t click, the other is taking the responsibility. I think how I would put it forth, it’s scary for the opponents to know that we have not had our perfect match yet.”
“I think this World Cup is all about fight and character at the end of the day and I think we’ve shown that in the last game. You have to be at your very best from the first game, and we weren’t against England and we got put under pressure, so I think it was just an eye opener and we have to be ready for every single game we play.”

Sunderland ended a run of three matches without a win by turning around a 2-0 deficit to beat Bournemouth 3-2 at the Stadium of Light on Saturday in the Premier League.

Summer signing Bertrand Traore grabbed his first goal for the club to make it 2-2, before substitute Brian Brobbey scored for the second time in three matches off the bench to secure all three points.

The work done by Kristjaan Speakman and his team in the summer transfer window can only be described as miraculous at this moment in time, given that the Black Cats are fighting for European football, rather than battling against relegation.

Ranking Sunderland's top five summer signings

Sunderland, including permanent deals, free agents, and loans, made a whopping 15 additions to the team that earned promotion from the Championship in the 2024/25 campaign.

It is hard to look past Robin Roefs and Granit Xhaka as being the two best signings made by the club, as they are both undroppable stars within Regis Le Bris’ side.

The Black Cats number one has prevented 3.28 xG more than expected in 13 Premier League games, per Sofascore, whilst Xhaka has showcased his vast experience, starting all 13 matches and providing one goal and four assists from the middle of the park.

Ranking Sunderland’s 5 best summer signings

Rank

Player

1

Robin Roefs

2

Granit Xhaka

3

Nordi Mukiele

4

Noah Sadiki

5

Omar Alderete

As you can see in the table above, we have put experienced signings Nordi Mukiele and Omar Alderete, as they have played a role in Sunderland only conceding 13 goals in 13 games so far.

Noah Sadiki also has to be up there because of his brilliant work rate in the middle of the park, averaging 2.7 tackles and interceptions per game across 13 starts, per Sofascore, after his £15m summer move from USG.

Of course, not every single signing goes to plan, and Sunderland are no exception. For example, Simon Adingra is currently on track to become the new Jeremain Lens on Wearside.

Why Simon Adingra may be the new Jeremain Lens

The Black Cats splashed £8m to sign Lens from Dynamo Kiev in 2015 to bolster their wide options, but he only went on to play 24 matches for the club, per Transfermarkt, with four goals and three assists to show for his efforts.

Lens found game time hard to come by after Dick Advocaat was replaced by Sam Allardyce. The winger went as far as to call it “annoying” and stated “I did not come to the Premier League to sit on the bench”.

He then went out on loan to Fenerbahce and Bestikas before signing for the latter permanently in 2018, ultimately leaving the Stadium of Light as a flop.

Unfortunately, Adingra may already be on the same path as the Dutchman after the club paid £21m to sign him from Brighton in the summer, making him the second-most expensive signing in the team’s history, behind the £27m deal for Habib Diarra.

Sporting director Speakman noted in the Ivorian star’s unveiling that he was “excited” to see the 23-year-old in action for the Black Cats, after the youngster had scored 12 goals in 73 games for Brighton, per Transfermarkt.

However, Adingra has not hit the ground running at the Stadium of Light, playing in eight of the 13 Premier League games this season, and is yet to register a goal or an assist, per Sofascore.

The right-footed flanker has struggled badly for game time in the top-flight his season, with one minute played in the last two matches, which will not be what the Black Cats were expecting when they decided to splash £21m on his services.

Adingra’s Sunderland career

Opposition

Minutes

Bournemouth

0

Fulham

1

Arsenal

26

Everton

0

Wolves

0

Man Utd

37

Nottingham Forest

12

Aston Villa

0

Crystal Palace

69

Brentford

25

Burnley

63

West Ham

76

Stats via Sofascore

Adingra has been a bit-part player for Le Bris, with the likes of Traore and Chemsdine Talbi ahead of him in the pecking order, and it remains to be seen whether or not he can turn things around to become a key player for Sunderland.

If it gets to January, or next summer, and he is still struggling for minutes and rarely getting off the bench, the former Brighton man may end up in the position that Lens found himself in, where a loan will be needed for him to go out and play regular football again.

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Rashid Khan takes three wickets in a set as Southern Brave suffer third straight defeat

ECB Media18-Aug-2025An all-action display from Sam Curran and another eye-catching half-century from Jordan Cox eased reigning champions Oval Invincibles to a seven-wicket win over Southern Brave and extended their lead at the top of the table.Set 134 to win, Invincibles lost their openers cheaply, Will Jacks and Tawanda Muyeye both falling to Craig Overton, but Cox continued his red-hot form with a classy 37-ball 56 and Curran capped a fine all-round performance by making an unbeaten 50 from 32 deliveries.Cox fell to Tymal Mills with 15 still required but captain Sam Billings struck three boundaries to ensure there were no further alarms as the visitors sealed the win with 11 balls to spare, their fourth victory in five.Invincibles overcame Brave in last year’s final and they made an impressive start at Utilita Bowl, Australia left-armer Jason Behrendorff making early inroads when he had both James Vince and Leus du Plooy caught at short third by Tom Curran, who then knocked back Laurie Evans’ off stump to leave the Brave 32 3.Things went from bad to worse for the hosts when Rashid Khan was thrown the ball. Six days ago, the Afghan leggie returned figures of 0 for 59 at Edgbaston but he was irrepressible against Brave, striking three times in his opening set to send Jason Roy, Michael Bracewell and James Coles on their way. Those scalps took Rashid to a competition-high haul of 10 in the Hundred this summer.With the Brave sinking fast at 44 for 6, Hilton Cartwright and Jordan Thompson counterattacked, the latter making a sprightly 13-ball 24 before nicking off to Sam Curran, who then castled Cartwright (42 off 30) with a pinpoint yorker.Curran struck again to dismiss Jofra Archer with a super-slow delivery before Mills was the last man out, run out by the live-wire Curran, to end the Brave innings on 133 from 98 balls, not enough to prevent last year’s runners-up slumping to a third straight defeat.Sam Curran, the Meerkat Match Hero, said: “It was a really big win. The way the table is at the moment, we knew it was such a big game, they’re a really good team.”I’m just really enjoying it. It’s a lovely bunch of guys. We’ve been together a while and turning up to work and playing with your mates and having coaches who know you is great.”On sharing a 101-run partnership with Cox, he said: “He’s special, the way he’s playing is incredible. The way he’s striking the ball is so clean and so skilful. Our partnership took the pressure off early. We knew they had some key bowlers and thankfully we saw them off and got the win.”

West Ham United are aiming to rise up the table over the coming weeks, though they may need to come to a conclusion on the future of one key star who is now attracting serious interest.

Nuno and West Ham finalise coaching staff appointments

Nuno Espirito Santo hasn’t been in the door long at West Ham and has had plenty to sort out in his limited time at the London Stadium, though he will be pleased to have fully onboarded his coaching staff after an announcement was made on Saturday.

Mark Robson, Gerard Prenderville and Steve Potts are now full-time first-team coaches. Meanwhile, Billy Lepine will work with their goalkeeping group to complete their list of new staff.

Speaking after the announcement, Nuno said: “I am very happy that Mark, Steve, Gerard and Billy have agreed to continue in their positions permanently. They are a great asset: people who, beyond their knowledge and effort, feel for West Ham United. This is key to the challenge we are currently facing.

“I’ve been very impressed by their work, their knowledge and their commitment to West Ham United. They know the Club, the players and the people here very well, and that’s a great strength for us going forward.”

Managing a club that have underperformed of late comes with a responsibility to make bold decisions. Taking a step in that direction, Nuno has sidelined West Ham midfielder James Ward-Prowse as he looks to mix things up in the engine room.

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Now, the Hammers may soon need to deal with an enforced change in the middle of the park if reports are to be believed surrounding the future of a London Stadium star.

Flamengo to submit Lucas Paqueta offer

According to Bolavip, Flamengo are set to submit an official offer for West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta, and they believe a deal could be doable, with the report stating that the former Lyon man isn’t entirely happy in the English capital.

Talks are accelerating over a potential transfer that could take place in January, albeit it isn’t yet clear whether the 28-year-old would be open to moving before the 2026 World Cup.

Lucas Paqueta’s Premier League season

Chances created

11

Passes completed

250

Shots

9

Goals

2

Assists

0

All statistics courtesy of Fotmob

Labelled a “maverick” by David Moyes, Paqueta has scored 21 times in 128 appearances for West Ham and can operate in a variety of positions, including attacking midfield, central midfield or on the left flank.

Nuno has relied on the South American thus far, starting him against both Everton and Arsenal, with there being little doubt he is one of West Ham’s star men when playing at the peak of his ability.

After being cleared of misconduct for alleged betting breaches earlier this year, he is currently on international duty with Brazil and came off the bench during their 5-0 triumph over South Korea on Friday.

With his importance to the West Ham cause undeniable, Nuno will hope to pull out all the stops to prevent the £150,000 per week star from moving back to his homeland permanently.

However, any reasonable bid could test chairman David Sullivan’s resolve, considering Paqueta is out of contract in 2027.

Liverpool forward Federico Chiesa says he will step up as a leader during the club's time of need as the Reds continue to struggle under Arne Slot this season. The Premier League champions have lost four games in a row to put their title defence in serious doubt, with captain Virgil van Dijk admitting he held a players' meeting after the loss to Manchester United a few weeks ago.

• Chiesa starting to prove his worth

  Chiesa has had a mixed career at Liverpool so far. Injuries have hampered his progress at Anfield, but this season he has looked back to his best. Still, his three goal contributions in seven Premier League outings this term have not seemed to help the Reds, with the Merseyside club now sitting seven points off of top spot. The most recent setback came away to Brentford on Saturday – a 3-2 loss that Chiesa admitted stunned the Liverpool players into silence.

  He said: "No one was speaking, because afterwards everyone knows. Sometimes you don’t have to speak about the situation. You know what’s going on. So no one spoke because I think we have to think about what we can do better. Usually when we are in this situation the first thing that comes to your mind is to give more and train harder. It was good that after the game we didn’t talk because it’s a sign that everyone wants to change the situation.

  "Of course, after we went to the bus and we started to talk about the situation, the first thing is that we don’t have to blame anything or anyone. We’re not winning, and there could be many reasons for that, but we have to bounce back. Personally, I don’t care if it’s this (reason) or that which is causing us not to win. For me, the most important thing is to work harder."

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• Getty Images
  

  Ready to lead his team-mates

  While Chiesa is confident he and his team-mates will dig deep to rediscover the form that made them champions last season, the Italian also claims he is ready to step up and lead, with his confidence coming from the huge support of the fanbase.

  He added: "I’m honoured to have such a big support from the fans, because we’re talking about Liverpool fans. Playing for Liverpool is an honour, and having this kind of support is amazing. So yeah, I feel that I can give a bit of leadership on the pitch, because I’m 28 and we have a lot of players that are around 24, or like Florian [Wirtz] just 22. Of course, then we have Virgil [van Dijk], we have Mo [Salah], but I think for the games that I have played in my past, I can bring that [experience] to our game."

• Fit and firing after stuttering start

  The former Juventus attacker missed 14 games for Liverpool through injury last season, but still collected a Premier League winners' medal in May. He has already made more appearances in the top flight this term than he did across the entirety of the last campaign, and Chiesa's main goal now is to get the club back to the top, where he feels they belong.

  He said: "Last year I wasn’t fit enough. I wasn’t mentally ready and I didn’t play. I was totally okay with it because I wasn’t up to speed with the other lads. This year, I felt as soon as we started I felt better physically and mentally. I have played more and I still need to play more to reach the level. I was playing a lot when I won the Euros [with Italy in 2021]. I’m a different player now, but I like where I’m going and I like the fact I have improved in many aspects of my game, apart from the fact I have lost a bit of speed!

  "I want to play well. That’s my main goal. Then the coach is going to decide whether I’m starting or not. But if I keep on playing well, then, of course, I’m going to have more minutes. That’s because the coach sees that. He showed that to me because I’ve been playing better. At the moment I’m happy with what I’m doing. I’m not happy with what the situation is like for the team because we’re not winning, but, personally, I think I’m giving a lot to the team, to the fans and I want to keep doing that in order to win in the future. That’s the main reason I’m doing this. Obviously, I want to stay here and I want to win for Liverpool again."

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Long way to the finish line

  Liverpool's hot start may have faltered, but they will not be giving up yet. There are still 29 matches to be played in the domestic campaign, and current Premier League leaders Arsenal have earned a reputation for bottling at the crucial moment. Next up for the Reds is a Carabao Cup clash with Crystal Palace, a team they have already fallen to this season.

Everton head coach David Moyes was heavily backed by the club throughout the summer transfer window with a host of new signings to bolster the squad.

Jack Grealish, who scored the winning goal against Crystal Palace last time out, has been a standout signing for the Toffees since his move to the club on loan from Manchester City.

The England international’s impressive start to life at Everton, with one goal and four assists in the Premier League, has meant that Iliman Ndiaye has had to play a new role this season.

Why Iliman Ndiaye has had to play a new role for Everton

The Senegal international played 32 of his 35 starts on the left flank for the Toffees in all competitions in the 2024/25 campaign, per Transfermarkt, scoring 11 goals.

However, Grealish’s preferred position is on the left wing, cutting inside on his right foot, and that is the role that he has nailed down since his move from The Etihad.

Because of the English forward’s form, Ndiaye has had to be moved out wide to the right wing. Per Transfermarkt, five of his seven starts have been on the right flank, with two of his three goals coming in that position.

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With Ndiaye having to play a new role on the right wing as a right-footed player, Moyes could make the attacking midfielder unplayable by starting Adam Aznou in a new role of his own at right-back.

How Adam Aznou could make Iliman Ndiaye unplayable

Everton signed the Morocco international from Bayern Munich in the summer transfer window, but his only appearance of the season so far came for the U21s at left-back against Doncaster in the EFL Trophy.

The 19-year-old left-back could make his breakthrough with the Toffees in a new role at right-back, though, to form an exciting partnership with Ndiaye down the right wing.

Aznou has played eight times as a right-back in his career, per Transfermarkt, which shows that he can play on that side, but it is not his usual position, which is left-back, and he has not played there for Everton yet.

Premier League Panel analyst Raj Chohan described Aznou as a “natural attacking threat” and claimed that Everton’s attack would improve if they played him as a ball-carrying right-back behind Ndiaye.

The Morocco international’s form in LaLiga on loan with Real Valladollid in the second half of last season suggests that Chohan’s theory has some weight behind it.

24/25 LaLiga

Adam Aznou per 90

Percentile rank vs LBs

Dribbles completed

1.96

Top 3%

Dribble success rate

55.9%

Top 24%

Touches in opposition box

1.54

Top 24%

Fouls won

1.75

Top 7%

Tackles won

2.88

Top 17%

Duels won

7.72

Top 5%

Ball recoveries

5.77

Top 6%

Stats via FotMob

As you can see in the table above, Aznou excelled among full-backs in the Spanish top-flight for taking players on and getting involved high up the pitch in the opposition’s box, whilst still being impressive in several defensive metrics.

These statistics suggest that the teenage talent has the defensive and technical attributes to play at right-back and support Ndiaye at the top end of the pitch, something that central defender Jake O’Brien is not a natural at in the right-back position.

This means that Ndiaye could have more space to work with in the inside right position because Aznou’s overlapping threat would force opposition defenders to pay attention to him, which would free up the Senegal international to move infield to join up with the other attackers without being marked out of the game.

At the moment, O’Brien does not carry that same threat down the right flank, which means that opposition teams can afford to put two players on the former Sheffield United star.

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Therefore, Moyes could help to make Ndiaye unplayable down the right wing by unleashing Aznou in a new role with the Toffees at right-back this season.

Things keep getting worse and worse for West Ham United.

Following sizable fan protests outside the London Stadium on Saturday, Graham Potter led his side out against Crystal Palace, desperate for a win.

Unfortunately, the Englishman oversaw yet another disappointing loss at home, and while the club may indicate a willingness to support him, it feels like a matter of when, not if, he is relieved of his duties.

One of the names touted to replace him over the last week has been Slaven Bilic, although another coach, someone appreciated by José Mourinho, is also reportedly in the picture, and would be a far better hire.

West Ham hunt for Potter replacements

Given the way West Ham have started the season, it’s hardly a surprise to see them linked with a host of potential Potter replacements.

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One such replacement who was heavily linked with the job a couple of weeks ago was Frank Lampard, although despite his decent start to the campaign with Coventry City in the Championship, we can’t imagine many fans would be too pleased with his appointment.

Another name that has come up a lot lately is the aforementioned Bilic, whose last job saw him take charge of Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Fateh between July 2023 and August 2024.

However, there is a far better candidate currently being linked with the club, someone who could make a world of difference this season and beyond.

At least that is according to a recent report from the Telegraph, which claims West Ham are interested in Nuno Espírito Santo.

In fact, the report goes further, revealing that the East Londoners have already sounded out the former Nottingham Forest head coach about the job.

It could prove challenging to convince the Portuguese coach to take the role before the end of the season, but West Ham should do everything possible to persuade him, as he’d be a significant upgrade on Potter and Bilic.

Why Nuno would be an upgrade on Bilic

Now, there is every chance that Bilic would come in and do a good job for West Ham.

After all, while not widely successful, his first stint with the club was far better in terms of results and style of play than Potter is managing at the moment.

However, with that said, we still reckon Nuno would be the far better hire, and there are a couple of reasons why.

Al-Fateh

07/23

08/24

Watford

09/22

03/23

Beijing Guoan

01/21

01/22

West Brom

07/19

12/20

Al-Ittihad

10/18

02/19

Firstly, he has not had much joy in management over the last five years or so, getting fired from his job in the Saudi Pro League for underachieving, being fired by Watford before that and then, before that, he spent an underwhelming year managing Beijing Guoan.

In other words, it has been quite some time since he has succeeded in a job, much less one in a high-quality league.

Nuno, on the other hand, was appointed manager of Forest when they were staring down the barrel of relegation back to the Championship.

Yet, within a season and a half, the “incredible” manager, as dubbed by Sky Sports’ Sam Obaseki, had led the Tricky Trees into Europe.

The second reason the São Tomé-born tactician would be a better hire than Bilic is that he’s proven himself with two teams in the Premier League.

He may have struggled with Tottenham Hotspur, but the 51-year-old manager, who Mourinho described as “fantastic,” led Wolverhampton Wanderers up from the second-tier and into the Europa League within a relatively short space of time.

Therefore, while Bilic could work out, Nuno has a more impressive recent track record to fall back on, as well as evidence of him dramatically improving two teams in the Premier League.

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The duo came in place of Curran and Hooda, while RR went in unchanged

Deivarayan Muthu30-Mar-2025

CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad won the toss and elected to bowl•BCCI

Having suffered their biggest-ever defeat at Chepauk on Friday, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have responded with two changes for their away game against Rajasthan Royals (RR). Jamie Overton replaced his compatriot Sam Curran and made his IPL debut while Vijay Shankar came in for Deepak Hooda.Overton lends more strength to the middle order and can also hit heavy lengths at speeds north of 140kph with the ball. As for Vijay, he’s an old face for CSK, having played for them in 2014 before moving to different franchises. He was carded at bat at No. 4 in CSK’s bowl-first XI, but it’s likely that Shivam Dube could slot in there as an Impact Player, with Vijay dropping down the order. There was no room for Devon Conway, though.As for RR, they were unchanged from the defeat against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the same venue. They might bring in an extra bowler as an Impact Player in place of Sanju Samson later in the evening. Samson is still recuperating from a finger injury and hasn’t been cleared yet to keep wicket or field.Playing XIsRajasthan Royals: 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 Sanju Samson, 3 Nitish Rana, 4 Riyan Parag (capt), 5 Dhruv Jurel (wk), 6 Shimron Hetmyer, 7 Wanindu Hasaranga, 8 Jofra Archer, 9 Maheesh Theekshana, 10 Sandeep Sharma, 11 Tushar DeshpandeImpact Subs: Kunal Singh Rathore, Shubham Dubey, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Kumar Kartikeya, Yudhvir SinghChennai Super Kings: 1 Rachin Ravindra, 2 Rahul Tripathi, 3 Ruturaj Gaikwad (capt), 4 Vijay Shankar, 5 Ravindra Jadeja, 6 MS Dhoni (wk), 7 Jamie Overton, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Noor Ahmad, 10 Matheesha Pathirana, 11 Khaleel AhmedImpact Subs: Shivam Dube, Mukesh Choudhary, Devon Conway, Shaik Rasheed, Sam Curran

Queensland left-arm seamer makes use of UK passport to sign as a local player

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Mar-2025Northamptonshire have signed Queensland left-arm seamer Liam Guthrie on a three-year contract. Guthrie, 27, holds a UK passport and will be registered as a local player.His arrival follows that of new head coach, Darren Lehmann, who described Guthrie as a “genuine pace” option who can swing the ball. The pair worked together previously during Lehmann’s time coaching Queensland and Brisbane Heat.”I’m truly excited about the opportunity to play for Northamptonshire.” Guthrie said. “Competing in the UK has always been a goal of mine, and I am eager to embark on this new chapter.Related

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“I’m looking forward to reconnecting with Darren Lehmann, whose influence on my cricket has been significant since our time working together in Queensland.”Guthrie, 27, made his first-class debut for Western Australia in 2018 but struggled for regular opportunities. He made his Big Bash League debut for Brisbane Heat in 2021, subsequently winning a state contract with Queensland.In 18 first-class matches, he has taken 50 wickets at 37.82, to go with 27 at 27.62 in List A cricket and six at 34.00 in T20s.Lehmann said: “We’re really excited about Liam joining us as a local player for the next three years. He brings left arm swing, genuine pace and having worked with him at Brisbane Heat and Queensland, his attitude is excellent and he has real wicket-taking abilities.”He’ll fit right in with the group who I’ve thoroughly enjoyed working with so far.”