The ECB’s proposals for their new 100-ball tournament will be assessed by the players themselves over the course of six ‘pilot days’
ESPNcricinfo staff10-Sep-2018The ECB’s proposals for their new 100-ball tournament will be assessed by the players over the course of six “pilot days” at Loughborough and Trent Bridge between September 14 and 27.The concept of “The Hundred” was first unveiled by the ECB in April, as part of the board’s plans to engage with a new audience when the sport makes a partial return to free-to-air TV under the terms of the new GBP1.1billion rights deal between 2020 and 2024.It was greeted with scepticism from the outset, with Daryl Mitchell, the chairman of the PCA, warning that there could be no competition at all unless the players themselves were convinced of its merits.That opportunity will now be afforded to them, with the ECB seeking feedback on “a number of scenarios and sequences of play”. The women players will be given the first outings at Loughborough on 14, 15 and 27 September, with the men playing at Trent Bridge on 16, 17 and 18 September. For the most part, the trials will take place behind closed doors, but a media open day is scheduled for the 17th.The majority of the 40 players involved in the men’s matches will be from Nottinghamshire and Lancashire, as they do not have county fixtures lined up for that week. However, most of the 18 counties are expected to be involved in some capacity.”Across the six days, a number of scenarios and sequences of play will be explored, focused on the 100-ball format,” said the ECB in a press release. “After each day, players will be asked to consider their feedback on three key areas: flow and duration of the game, tactical innovation and player enjoyment.”Concepts that will be explored will include over lengths – with a format of 20 five-ball overs now thought to be the favoured approach, after initial thoughts about 16 six-ball overs and a one-off ten-ball over. Other ideas that may be explored include bonus scoring periods, and the opportunity for bowlers to bowl consecutive overs.”Feedback from the pilot days will form part of ECB’s ongoing development of the new competition,” the statement continued. “After their conclusion, analysis of the pilot days, alongside a range of wider insight, will help to further develop the format for the new competition.”
Sunderland made a surprising charge into the play-offs last season following their promotion from League One and a similar narrative is unfolding this time.
With six victories from their opening 11 matches, the Black Cats are purring at the prospect of promotion, although north east rivals Middlesbrough did hand them a 4-0 stuffing last time out.
A humiliating defeat against a rival is undoubtedly a bitter pill to swallow, but the biggest disappointment was the red card brandished to Dan Neil in the first half, handing Boro the initiative in the contest.
Ahead of their trip to Stoke, Tony Mowbray will be without the suspended midfielder and that has dealt them a significant blow.
How has Dan Neil performed this season?
Neil is the enforcer in Sunderland's midfield and has demonstrated that through his abundance of technical attributes, demanding the ball from his defence and spraying passes short and long.
A forward-thinker in possession and a key cog in Mowbray's fast-paced attacking football, there aren't many others, if any, who can dictate the tempo of a match quite like him in the division.
Dan Neil and Abdoullah Ba of Sunderland.
According to FBref, Neil is one of the best deep-lying playmakers in the Championship this term, ranking in the top 1% against his positional peers for progressive passes, top 4% for passes into the final third, top 11% for pass completion and top 25% for assists.
As demonstrated by the above statistics, the 21-year-old is in the upper echelon of players who take a risk in possession, rarely going for a simple pass to ensure that every action he makes is done with a purpose.
Compared to Michael Carrick by talkSPORT's Neil Danter for how he dictates a football previously, there are other parts to Neil's game that don't go unnoticed, and his exceptional ball-carrying is one of them.
He places within the 4% for successful take-ons, the top 16% for progressive carries and the top 13% for carries into the final third.
Praised by former Black Cats ace Stephen Elliott for "having everything you'd want in a central midfielder", Neil has also showcased that his importance stands up against his Sunderland peers.
His average Sofascore rating of 7.23 is the fourth highest in the Mowbrays squad this season, behind only Pierre Ekwah, Bradley Dack and Jack Clarke, the former of which could be in line to replace him against Stoke after recovering from his injury.
Will Ekwah feature against Stoke?
Since Ekwah sustained an injury in the 3-1 victory over Queens Park Rangers in September, Sunderland have missed the Frenchman's robust and aggressive nature of his performances in midfield.
Fortunately, he is in contention to return this weekend, with the Sunderland Echo reporting that he was back in training over the international break.
Lauded by journalist Phil Smith as "monstrous", the 21-year-old has operated in a deeper role this term, sweeping up possession in front of his backline and allowing Neil to have a greater creative influence going forward.
Sunderland midfielder Pierre Ekwah.
The pair have formed a strong partnership at the heart of Sunderland's midfield and started each of their opening six Championship fixtures as Ekwah began to showcase his prominence as a tackling machine, averaging 1.3 interceptions, 1.7 tackles and 7.3 balls recovered per game, as per Sofascore.
With the 6 foot 2 midfielder displaying the physical attributes and stature that have been so desperately missed by Mowbray, the veteran manager could throw him straight back into the team against Stoke in place of Neil.
Jos Buttler says he is “not fussed” about being England’s first-choice wicketkeeper and hosed down any suggestion of a rivalry with Jonny Bairstow over the role at the end of the third day at the Ageus Bowl.Buttler has had mixed fortunes behind the stumps after Bairstow’s fractured finger forced a him to hand over the gloves for this Test but, while Bairstow has made it clear he wants to reclaim the job as soon as he is fit, Buttler said there was no jostling for the role or problems between the two team-mates.”Not at all from my angle, and not from Jonny’s either,” said Buttler. “It’s not been a problem at all.”Obviously Jonny’s not fit to keep wicket in this match, which is frustrating for him because he’s been fantastic for the last few years. Whatever happens moving forward, it doesn’t affect me or Jonny.After a day in which England’s rejigged top order struggled to assert themselves, Butter – who top-scored with 69 – suggested that, far from coveting the gloves full time, he is simply happy to keep his place in the Test team.”I’m not fussed,” he said. “From a few months ago, to even be in the Test match side is fantastic – so gloves on or not, it doesn’t matter.”England were 122 for 5 when Buttler joined Ben Stokes at the crease and, while Sam Curran impressed once more with his fearless brand of batting, it was the Buttler-Stokes partnership that righted the ship after Joe Root was run out for the second time in the series.”We’ve batted together in quite a lot of situations in different formats, so that rapport is obviously comforting in a way and allows you to get the best out of each other,” Buttler said of a player who has been a regular team-mate in white-ball cricket for England and, latterly, for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL too.”We’ve got that right, left-hand combination, trying to rotate the strike and not let bowlers settle. We just went about it the same way … trying to extend the partnership, and slowly and steadily building the lead.”With a lead of 233 and two wickets in hand, England may just have the upper hand in this contest, although it would be foolish to discount what the likes of Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara could produce in the fourth-innings chase. But Buttler feels there are signs the pitch could be deteriorating sufficiently for Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid to make inroads in India’s batting line-up.”You’ve seen the wear and tear in the wicket – even in the first innings as well, there was quite a bit of rough outside the right-hander’s off-stump,” said Buttler.”That’s promising for Moeen and Adil – and with the seamers, we’ve seen a bit of variable bounce. So I think it’s nice to have the runs on the board.”
Liverpool are believed to be "in the queue" again to sign a transfer target they liked way back in 2016, but another Premier League side are also providing competition.
Liverpool held by Luton
The Reds endured a disappointing day at the office on Sunday afternoon, falling way below their usual standards away to Luton Town, and arguably finding themselves fortunate to pick up a point in the end. It needed Luis Diaz to score a stoppage time equaliser to save Liverpool's blushes – a lovely moment for the Colombian, during a tough time for him personally – but it was a performance that was lacking quality and fight throughout.
It was a game that once again highlighted the need for Jurgen Klopp's side to have a genuine defensive midfielder in their team, with Alexis Mac Allister inexperienced in that position, and there is also arguably a lack of depth at full-back, with Joe Gomez starting and left-back and Kostas Tsimikas arguably not at the desired level.
The January transfer window is getting closer all the time, which could allow Klopp to bolster his squad, and a new update suggests that a top-quality player could potentially sign a pre-contract agreement then, ahead of a move next summer.
Liverpool transfer news – Piotr Zielinski
According to a new report from Corriere dello Sport [via Sport Witness, Liverpool are interested in signing Napoli midfielder Piotr Zielinski, having been linked with him early in Klopp's reign as manager, prior to Gini Wijnaldum coming in instead. The player even posed with a Reds shirt back in 2016, such was the intensity of Klopp's interest.
Soccer Football – Serie A – Atalanta v Napoli – Stadio Atleti Azzurri, Bergamo, Italy – April 3, 2022 Atalanta’s Teun Koopmeiners in action with Napoli’s Piotr Zielinski REUTERS/Alessandro Garofalo
The rumour claims that the Reds are "in the queue" to snap up the Pole, but West Ham are also providing competition for his signature, as are Serie A giants Juventus and Inter Milan. Zielinski is out of contract at the end of this season, which is tempting Napoli to cash in for a bargain fee in January.
There is no denying the 29-year-old quality as a footballer at the top level, with Zielinski's statistics showing what an impact he has made for club and country, appearing 343 times for a Napoli side, who are the reigning Serie A champions. He has 50 goals and 46 assists in that time, as well as winning an impressive 86 caps for Poland.
The fact that Klopp was an admirer of Zielinski in the past suggests that he could be a shrewd target now on the cheap due to his contract situation, and legendary manager Carlo Ancelotti has described him as a "complete midfielder" in the past.
Appearances
343
Goals
50
Assists
46
That being said, midfield is arguably the least pressing area to improve in at the moment, given the signings made in the summer, and Zielinski isn't an out-and-out No.6, with his prefereed No.8 position well-stocked with the likes of Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch, Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott.
At 29, the Napoli ace is also no longer a young player, so he wouldn't be seen as a long-term signing, and it could be argued that the chance for Liverpool to sign him has arrived a few years too late.
Arsenal are preparing to weigh up their options ahead of the eagerly anticipated January transfer window, as Mikel Arteta bids to fire his side towards their first Premier League title since 2004.
There are a host of changes that are stalling the Gunners’ bid to be top of the pile in May, with squad depth a glaringly obvious area that must be seen to in January and transfer windows beyond.
The north Londoners splashed over £200m on new arrivals in the summer, with the most lucrative deal being the £105m capture of West Ham United captain Declan Rice, whose arrival has proved that some price tags are worth the expense.
With the winter window creeping ever closer, Arteta and Edu are linked with a host of targets that could make their way to the Emirates in the new year, with a range of positions claimed to be targeted for improvement.
Arsenal January transfer targets
One area that could be replenished this winter is the striker department, with Gabriel Jesus unreliable with his fitness, and Eddie Nketiah unreliable with his conviction in front of goal.
A name that has cropped up with reference to Arsenal is Brentford talisman Ivan Toney, who is set to return from his ban in January.
Last month, the Mirror reported that the Bees value their striker at £100m, with the Gunners mentioned in the article as potential admirers of the Englishman, who netted 20 goals in the Premier League last season.
In a new report, Football Transfers has linked another European sharpshooter to the Emirates, with Juventus forward Dusan Vlahovic said to still be of interest to the north Londoners.
As noted in the report, Arteta eyed the Serbian in January 2022, however he opted to sign for Juve in a deal worth £66.6m from Fiorentina.
This week, Football Transfers claimed that the 23-year-old remains Arteta’s favoured striker target, with his current market value sitting at €80m (£70m).
Dusan Vlahovic’s career in numbers
When revising Vlahovic’s career scoring record, it’s easy to forget that the striker is still only 23 years of age.
Starting his career at Partizan Belgrade, Fiorentina captured the signing of the Serbian at the age of 17, giving him a platform to grow in Italy.
Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic.
At the point of his arrival, fan website ‘Viola Nation’ explained how the teenager had already ‘drawn comparisons to Zlatan Ibrahimovic’, giving fans an encouraging outlook on the calibre of talent the club had joined forces with.
Standing at 6 foot 3, the forward’s stature doesn’t compromise his pace or agility, with scouting site, The Analyst, mentioning his mobility as one of his assets, supported by his top speed recorded at 32.40 km/h.
It didn’t take long for the unknown teenager to make an impact at Fiorentina, with him scoring 20 goals for the Primavera side in only 22 appearances to give the Italian outfit a snapshot of his capability.
In the 2019/20 campaign, the dynamic forward was promoted to the first team, in which he ended his first full Serie A season with six goals and one assist, which prevailed to be the start of something explosive with the Viola.
The following term, Vlahovic claimed 21 goals and two assists in Serie A, followed by netting 17 goals and four assists in only 21 league appearances in 2021/22, bringing much delight to the club that nurtured him.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t just Fiorentina that the Serbia international was impressing, as in the January of that season, Juventus captured the talisman at the age of 22.
Following his arrival, former Juve midfielder Alessio Tacchinardi dubbed the forward as “extraordinary”, backing him to restore the goals lost by the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo the year prior to reinforce his quality.
Club
Season
Apps
Goals
Assists
Fiorentina
2019/20
30
6
1
Fiorentina
2020/21
37
21
2
Fiorentina
2021/22
21
17
4
Juventus
2021/22
15
7
1
Juventus
2022/23
27
10
2
Juventus
2023/24
9
4
1
Figures via Transfermarkt
Things haven’t quite worked as well in Turin as they did with the Viola, having scored 21 goals in 51 appearances for the Bianconeri in Serie A, matching his total from the 2020/21 campaign alone.
The lethal element to the striker’s game is still traceable, with his quality unquestionable in the final third based on his remarkable emergence on the scene at Fiorentina as a youngster.
As Arteta continues his hunt for a reliable source of goals, it’s little surprise that the Spaniard has highlighted Vlahovic as a potential target, with his attributes having the potential to offer a lot to the Gunners.
Why Dusan Vlahovic would be a good signing for Arsenal
There’s a reason why the 23-year-old has struggled to fully translate his talents across to Juventus, with Tacchinardi previously defending the poacher’s struggles to criticise the way that the Serie A outfit play.
As relayed by Football Italia, Tacchinardi explained that “the team doesn’t put him in a position to score goals”, adding that the squad “don’t create chances”, criticism that can’t be said about Arsenal’s approach to play.
If there’s one thing that Arteta’s side strive at, it’s creating chances through their silky style of play, which could benefit and get the best out of Vlahovic should he end up at the Emirates in the future.
The key creator behind the Gunners’ success in the final third is club captain Martin Odegaard, who created 14 big chances alone last season in the Premier League, as well as averaging 2.1 key passes per game, via Sofascore.
Arsenal’s issue is rarely creating and more so finishing, reinforced by Jesus’ conversion rate of 15% last term, and Nketiah’s rate of only 10% when leading the line for the north Londoners.
After seeing how fundamental the signing of established goalscorer Erling Haaland was for Manchester City last campaign, Arteta must take another page out of Pep Guardiola’s book and hire a reliable source of goals.
Pairing Odegaard’s playmaking expertise with Vlahovic’s ability to make the most out of nothing, the manager could not only improve his side, but could inspire the Norwegian to rediscover his best form, after starting the 2023/24 campaign in lacklustre fashion – with only one assist to his name in all competitions.
The former Real Madrid playmaker has had his critics of late – with talkSPORT's Darren Bent describing him as "nowhere to be seen" during the North London Derby earlier this season – yet the presence of a clinical and physical focal point ahead of him could get the 24-year-old firing again.
Only time will tell if Arsenal will be serious over the reported pursuit of Vlahovic, who would undoubtedly add significant firepower to the ranks at the Emirates.
O atacante Willian concedeu, nesta sexta-feira (11), uma entrevista coletiva para celebrar os 200 jogos com a camisa do Palmeiras, na qual falou sobre a importância de Abel Ferreira, que não esteve presente nos últimos jogos do Verdão devido à contaminação pela Covid-19:
– O Abel tem uma comissão que fala a mesma língua em questão de trabalho. O entrosamento é absurdo, eles se completam. É claro que a figura do Abel faz falta, mas acredito que nada justifica, tudo que a gente faz dentro de campo é passado antes da partida, no treinamento, mas a figura do Abel faz diferença sim.
Bigode comentou, também, sobre a possibilidade de priorizar as copas, devido à grande sequência de jogos do Alviverde.
– É o que a comissão sempre fala: temos que brigar pelos 3 pontos e pelas classificações. Temos um jogo importante amanhã, o foco é o Bahia. Passando isso a gente volta a focar no Libertad. Sabemos da dificuldade, mas temos totais condições de avançar. O Abel tem passado isso pra gente: vivemos a cada jogo. Não vamos priorizar nada, vamos nos doar ao máximo em todos os jogos, muita agressividade na marcação… Precisamos manter essa crescente para que possamos alcançar nossos objetivos.
>> CONFIRA A TABELA ATUALIZADA DO BRASILEIRÃO 2020
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Por fim, Willian falou sobre as ambições que ainda tem no clube e sobre a vontade de renovar com o Verdão.
– Sou muito feliz aqui, tenho muito a conquistar. Estamos em três competições importantes, sei que tudo vai acontecer de forma natural (sobre a renovação). Tenho ainda mais um ano de contrato, mas vale ressaltar que sou muito feliz aqui. Nesse ano, está tudo em jogo ainda, Libertadores, Copa do Brasil, nunca é demais conquistar. Tenho muita sede disso, com 200 jogos e marcas importantes de gols e o mais importante são os títulos. Esse é meu objetivo. Sei da minha importância, da minha liderança com outros atletas, que represento muita coisa aqui dentro, então sempre tento transmitir minha experiência aos mais novos. Sempre estamos aprendendo, então fico feliz que posso continuar crescendo aqui dentro como pessoa e profissional.
Willian chegou ao Palmeiras em 2017 e teve seu auge em 2018, atuando em 32 partidas da campanha do decacampeonato brasileiro e marcando dez gols. Em 2020, o atleta é quem mais entrou em campo pelo Verdão, com 51 jogos. Além disso, é o artilheiro do time no ano, tendo balançado as redes 16 vezes.
Former West Ham United striker Frank McAvennie has outlined his big transfer wish as he urges one £40 million man to make a London Stadium move.
West Ham form this season
The Hammers started somewhat brightly, but in the past week, they've tailed off. A 4-1 thumping at the hands of Aston Villa last weekend was soon followed by a Europa League defeat to Greek side Olympiacos, who resultingly ended their impressive 17-game unbeaten streak in Europe.
Heading into their battle with Everton at the London Stadium on Sunday, West Ham must resurrect their form and quickly, as David Moyes has just one win to show for his last five Premier League games. Speaking after his side's 2-1 loss to Olympiacos on Thursday, the Scotsman defended his decision to make a series of changes to his starting line up ahead of Everton.
“Look, we changed a lot of players tonight, we’ve got the Premier League coming up and we’ve got a League Cup game next week and we’d won the first two games in the group, which gave us leeway to make changes tonight,” said Moyes on Olympiacos.
“But maybe I have to recognise that while we didn’t win the Conference League games easily, as they were all tough games, coming to Olympiakos after winning away in Freiburg – which was a good result – this wasn’t a good result and wasn’t a good performance. In our heads we certainly had a bigger picture in our heads and that was going into Sunday."
McAvennie urges West Ham move for McTominay
You could make a case that West Ham are still deprived of real quality in certain areas. The January transfer window is slowly approaching, and reports suggest Moyes is keen to sign a new striker. West Ham are interested in Stuttgart's Serhou Guirassy as a target, while Man United's Harry Maguire could join Moyes to reinforce his backline.
One player also targeted over the summer was Man United midfielder Scott McTominay. The Scotland international, despite his lack of chances, is currently the Red Devils' top Premier League goalscorer. Erik ten Hag has called upon McTominay sparingly over 2023/2024, with Newcastle tipped as suitors for the 26-year-old.
However, former Hammers striker McAvennie believes that West Ham would perfect for McTominay. Indeed, the pundit tells Football Insider that he'd be an excellent signing and wants to see McTominay in Claret and Blue.
"But I think Man United will bring players in with Casemiro, Mason Mount, Christian Eriksen,” said McAvennie.
“Steve Clarke’s turned this player into an attacking midfield player. He’s been playing as a holding midfield player but he’s not a holding midfield player.
“He was never any good at it. He’s a good tackler but he’s not a great stopper. He’s moving forward and scoring goals. I’d be concerned if he went to Newcastle. I’d much rather he play at West Ham, he can do a brilliant job there, what a signing he would be”.
McTominay could cost around £40 million if West Ham do indeed decide to reignite their interest.
Paul Mullin is a talismanic presence at Wrexham, with the superstar striker making those around him better.
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Prolific frontman leads by exampleTests team-mates in trainingAnother promotion on the cardsWHAT HAPPENED?
Jacob Mendy admits to benefiting from having the prolific frontman around, as he has to contend with him in training on a daily basis. Testing himself against one of the most fearsome forwards in League Two – with Mullin one effort away from reaching 100 goals for the Red Dragons – has helped Mendy to raise his game, meaning that he is better prepared to handle the threat posed by opposition attackers.
AdvertisementGettyWHAT MENDY SAID ABOUT MULLIN
Mendy has told the podcast: “I have learned how to deal with very good strikers – how sharp they are and how they do things that not everyone can do. You look at Paul Mullin’s goal the other day [against Grimsby], if that was me than I would try to control the ball and then think after but he thinks instantly when the ball is in the air and makes a decision – the correct decision. It’s things like that I look at and think fast. I want to learn this from him.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Mullin has helped to keep Wrexham in contention for a top-three finish in League Two this season, with the Red Dragons taking aim at back-to-back promotions. Mendy added on that bid: “Right now we are just focused on doing our job and getting the three points every weekend, because that will guarantee promotion. We also focus on what can happen. We definitely want to secure the promotion straight away and then we can focus on maybe winning the league. We definitely want that promotion.”
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Getty/GOALWHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?
Hollywood co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney are desperate to throw another party in North Wales. Wrexham are currently sat third in League Two – level on points with Mansfield and four adrift of leaders Stockport with five games left to take in.
The adverse effect the pink ball and the dew have on Yasir Shah’s bowling and Pakistan’s iffy results in day-night Tests have led to the move
Osman Samiuddin09-Oct-2018Pakistan chose not to schedule a day-night Test this season because they felt it would hamper their side’s chances against Australia and New Zealand.This is the first season in three that the PCB, hitherto a keen proponent of the concept, has not staged a day-night Test in Dubai. Indifferent results in the two previous Tests prompted the team management to tell the board to opt against one this time round.Pakistan won the first Test against West Indies two years ago, but only after a massive scare in the second half of a game they had initially dominated. Their batsmen first collapsed under lights to Devendra Bishoo’s legspin, and then their bowlers struggled to defend 346 in the fourth innings. Last year they lost to Sri Lanka, when their batsmen failed to make over 262 in either innings.More than the batting, however, the team was concerned about the blunting of their main weapon Yasir Shah, through a combination of dew, the pink ball becoming soft quickly and the pitch not breaking up as much as expected.Though Yasir has taken 15 wickets in the two day-night Tests, they have come at a higher cost compared to wickets in daytime UAE Tests – 31.00 against 24.75. More critical is the rate at which they have come, a strike rate of 60.7 in the two day-night games as opposed to 51.5 in day Tests.The board is understood to have canvassed the team as both the PCB and Cricket Australia have pushed the concept of day-night Tests. But based on those on-field concerns, the PCB decided not to pursue the option.That goes against the grain of most missed chances to play day-night Tests. Generally it is the touring side that has turned down the opportunity to play – and mostly on the basis that they would be unfamiliar, and so uncomfortable, with the conditions. Sri Lanka turned Pakistan down once in 2013, while India and Bangladesh have also refused to play day-night Tests on away tours.It didn’t help that, unlike the rest of the world, a day-night Test makes little difference to attendances in the UAE. Neither the West Indies Test nor the one last year against Sri Lanka attracted a noticeably bigger crowd.As has become the norm for Pakistan’s UAE Tests, the ongoing Test has been played out in front of virtually empty stands, enlivened only in pockets by groups of schoolchildren. Free entry for the Tests hasn’t made a difference, though the fact that it is the case is because the PCB, for the first time since 2009, has negotiated a deal whereby it doesn’t pay a hosting fee for a Test. Usually the PCB would pay approximately USD 35,000 plus expenses per Test as a separate cost in the UAE, something it has avoided this season when they play five Tests there.The fact that the Test began on a Sunday – the start of the UAE working week – is unlikely to have adversely affected that aspect. Sunday starts for Tests are not unusual in any case: the West Indies Test in Sharjah in 2016-17, the England Test at the same venue the year before and the Test against New Zealand in 2014 in Abu Dhabi all began on Sundays. The compressed nature of this tour and season has played some part in this game beginning on Sunday.According to one board official, the PCB wanted to have a schedule whereby as many of the limited-overs games take place on weekends, though ultimately, of the three T20Is Australia play here, only one is on a weekend. And only two of the six limited-overs games New Zealand play here take place on a weekend.
Manchester United legend Roy Keane has been forced to admit “I need a drink” after making his prediction in the thrilling Premier League title race.
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Klopp's men lead the way
Gunners & City in the mix
Eight games left to take in
WHAT HAPPENED?
With the top three having only eight games left to take in this season, the battle for domestic supremacy in England appears destined to go down to the wire. As things stand, there are just three points separating Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
The defending champions sit third at present, with the Gunners remaining second following a 0-0 draw at the Etihad Stadium, and Liverpool lead the way in what is Jurgen Klopp’s final campaign at the Anfield helm. There is all to play for, and it is is becoming increasingly difficult to call who will come out on top.
WHAT KEANE SAID
Keane, who savoured seven Premier League title triumphs during his time at United, has offered his take on who will claim the crown. The Irishman is finding it difficult to sing the praises of teams that were once his fiercest rivals, telling when asked for his opinion on a dramatic fight to the finish: “I’m going to go with Liverpool, I think. I need a drink! I’m not changing like the wind. I said Man City but from what I’ve seen recently, I’m going to go with Liverpool. Can I change next week?”
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WHAT NEXT?
Liverpool still have top-four hopefuls Aston Villa, Tottenham and United to face this season. Arsenal have meetings with London rivals Chelsea and Spurs to come, while City are having to manage their workload as part of another treble bid – with Pep Guardiola’s side also in the hunt for Champions League and FA Cup glory.