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William Saliba revealed how he's already "taken revenge" against Enzo Fernandez for the World Cup defeat with Arsenal. The French defender, now a pillar at both Arsenal and for Didier Deschamps’ national side, says France aren’t intimidated by anyone, not even Lionel Messi’s world champions.

• World Cup final loss still haunts Saliba

  Saliba may have been an unused substitute when France lost the 2022 World Cup final to Argentina on penalties, but that night still burns in his mind. The two nations are once more the favourites heading into the global showpiece event in the United States and the defender wants to beat the Albiceleste. 

  "The World Cup is in eight months. What sets us apart from Spain and Argentina is that they won the major competitions before the 2022 World Cup and the Euro," he told reporters during this Wednesday’s press conference in the France camp at Clairefontaine. "But they don’t scare us. I already hope we qualify and get our revenge at the World Cup."

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  Score settled in the Premier League

  Since Fernandez’s £107 million ($143m) switch from Benfica to Chelsea in February 2023, six weeks after his World Cup triumph, the Argentinian has endured a miserable time against Arsenal. The Blues, once the dominant London force, have found themselves repeatedly outclassed by Mikel Arteta’s slick, fearless side. The numbers don’t lie. Arsenal have lost just one of their last 12 meetings with Chelsea in all competitions, winning eight and drawing three.

  It’s a complete reversal of fortunes. Not long ago, Chelsea were the bullies of London, smashing Arsenal in cup finals and league clashes alike. But under Mikel Arteta, the Gunners have flipped the script. Now it’s Arsenal who dominate the derby, and Saliba is at the very heart of their new golden era. The towering Frenchman has become one of the most reliable defenders in Europe, elegant on the ball, ruthless in duels, and impossible to intimidate.

  Asked if he’s already settled a score with Fernandez domestically, Saliba couldn’t resist a sly smile. "So far, I haven’t lost to him with Chelsea," he said. "So, yes, I’ve had revenge with Arsenal on Chelsea. But it’s clear that, of course, when a team beats you, even if I hadn’t played against Argentina because I was on the bench, it’s the same thing. When a team beats you, the only thing you’re waiting for is to play them again. And if we do things well and qualify, I think we’ll have a way to get our revenge. Even if it’s not what we want, to go to the World Cup and necessarily get our revenge, we just want to win. But if we come up against them [Argentina], of course, we’ll be happy to get our revenge."

• Saliba: The ice-cold leader

  Arteta’s faith in Saliba is absolute. From once being sent out on loan three times, to Saint-Etienne, Nice, and Marseille, the young centre-back has risen to become one of the most valuable players in the Premier League. When Arteta first took charge in December 2019, Saliba was little more than a promising teenager with raw talent. But after years of perseverance and self-belief, he’s earned his manager’s total trust, and a bumper new contract to match. Saliba now pockets £250,000 per week, making him Arsenal’s third-highest earner, behind Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz. The Gunners’ wage bill has ballooned to £328 million a year, with seven stars banking over £200k weekly, including new arrival Viktor Gyokeres. To outsiders, that’s eye-watering money. But for Arsenal’s board, it’s a worthwhile investment.

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• AFP
  

  All eyes on 2026 World Cup

  Being benched for the World Cup final was a bitter pill to swallow. Now, with Euro experience under his belt and back-to-back stellar Premier League campaigns, Saliba has become one of Europe’s elite defenders. Deschamps’ faith in him has only grown, and France’s qualification for the 2026 World Cup could be confirmed as early as Monday. All they need is Iceland to draw with Ukraine on Friday, and wins against Azerbaijan and Iceland themselves, to book their ticket. Argentina, meanwhile, have already qualified, topping the CONMEBOL standings with 38 points from 18 games. It sets the stage for a possible rematch, and Saliba is itching for it.

Pakistan are trailing 2-0 in the five-match series, this despite a number of first-choice NZ players unavailable due to IPL commitments

Vishal Dikshit20-Mar-2025

New Zealand have been clinical in both T20Is so far•AFP/Getty Images

Big Picture: Can Pakistan stop New Zealand’s charge?Even against a depleted New Zealand squad, Pakistan’s revamped T20I side managed to hit a new low of getting bundled for 91 in the series opener. Even against a New Zealand side without the flying Glenn Phillips, Pakistan have been handing out catches incessantly through the two games so far – for all ten dismissals in the first game and eight out of nine in the second.If this new-look Pakistan side wants to keep the five-match T20I series alive in Auckland on Friday, they need to step up on all fronts and prove to the world – and even perhaps to themselves – that it’s not all doom and gloom with less than a year to go for the next T20 World Cup.Pakistan themselves are a depleted side, in the early days of learning to live without Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam in this format, and without the injured Saim Ayub. It’s still early days to judge the new opening pair of Hasan Nawaz and Mohammad Haris, but their inability to cope with the pace and bounce in Christchurch before poor shot selections in Dunedin doesn’t bode well.Related

Pakistan slide feels like a terminal, slow decline

Neesham, Allen, Seifert 'very hungry' to play for NZ as 2026 T20 World Cup prep begins

Rauf backs Pakistan's youngsters: 'Give them 10 to 15 matches, that is how they become players'

Salman Agha’s blitzy 46 off 28 and cameos from the experienced Shadab Khan and Shaheen Shah Afridi down the order in the second game helped them to 135 for 9 in a rain-reduced 15-overs-a-side game. However, the ineffectiveness of their bowling attack – which holds a lot more promise than their batting – to contain the New Zealand batting places a big question mark over who can really help them keep the series alive.New Zealand’s openers Tim Seifert and Finn Allen were devastating in both games, exemplified by Seifert carting Afridi around for 26 runs in an over in the second game. Given the sunny forecast in Auckland, Pakistan will first hope they win the toss, which they haven’t so far this series, and then try to remove the openers early to test their middle order.New Zealand have not had much to worry about so far; their bowlers have worked like a well-oiled machine in favourable conditions and even though they put down three catches in the first match, they have held on to 18.Pakistan will also be desperate to lift their hopes after a forgettable home Champions Trophy campaign and put an end to their five-match losing streak in T20Is, which started in Zimbabwe in December last year.Form guideNew Zealand WWLWW
Pakistan LLLLLJames Neesham picked two wickets in the second T20I•Joe Allison/Getty Images

In the spotlight: James Neesham and Hasan NawazAfter last playing T20Is in the 2024 T20 World Cup, James Neesham returned to the side in the absence of the stars that are in India for the IPL. He got to play only in the second game, picking two wickets towards the end and scoring just 5 in the chase before holing out. Once a game-changer in New Zealand’s white-ball squads, Neesham has fallen out of favour in ODIs but he has committed himself for next year’s T20 World Cup. The onus remains on him to prove that form is something he can turn around quickly, especially in home conditions, as he has not scored over 40 in the format since December 2023.Hasan Nawaz has had as poor a start to his international career as anyone could: two ducks in two games. It’s the nature of dismissals in both games that might disappoint him and the team management as he dished out wild swings to miscue the ball on both occasions. The 22-year-old came into this series with runs for Lions in Pakistan’s Champions T20 Cup, finishing second on the run-scorers’ list and with the second-most sixes, too. The challenge now will be to keep his place in the Pakistan XI for the remaining games and try to earn his runs in more hostile conditions.Mohammad Ali has been carted for 59 runs in five overs across the two T20Is•Getty Images

Team newsSince it’s a five-match series and there was a quick turnaround between the first two games, New Zealand rested Kyle Jamieson and Tim Robinson to bring in Ben Sears and Jimmy Neesham for the second match. They could bring Jamieson back and rest Jacob Duffy for the third game.New Zealand (probable): 1 Tim Seifert, 2 Finn Allen, 3 Mark Chapman, 4 Daryl Mitchell, 5 James Neesham, 6 Mitchell Hay (wk), 7 Michael Bracewell (capt), 8 Zakary Foulkes, 9 Ish Sodhi, 10 Kyle Jamieson, 11 Jacob Duffy/Ben SearsPakistan changed the mix of their bowling attack to pick fast bowler Haris Rauf for legspinner Abrar Ahmed for the second match. Mohammad Ali has been expensive in both games, leaking nearly 12 runs in both games put together. Abbas Afridi is the one option in their squad if they wish to replace Ali.Pakistan (probable): 1 Mohammad Haris (wk), 2 Hasan Nawaz, 3 Salman Agha (capt), 4 Irfan Khan, 5 Shadab Khan, 6 Khushdil Shah, 7 Abdul Samad, 8 Jahandad Khan, 9 Shaheen Afridi, 10 Abrar Ahmed, 11 Mohammad AliPitch and conditionsEven though New Zealand bowled in the first two games and won both, the last four matches (barring a tie between New Zealand and Sri Lanka in 2023) in Auckland were won by teams batting first. Eden Park in general is known as a high-scoring ground and with no rain predicted for Friday, and temperatures expected to dip below 20 degrees at night, the crowd should be entertained for a full 40 overs.Stats and triviaFinn Allen has scored 433 runs in 11 innings against Pakistan in T20Is, the most by him against any opponent, including two fifties and a hundred. He is already in the top five list of batters to score most runs against PakistanIf he plays on Friday, Ish Sodhi will become joint second-most capped player for New Zealand in T20IsHaris Rauf needs two more to reach 200 international wickets

Giants ended their losing streak to post their second win of this WPL

Shashank Kishore27-Feb-2025

Ash Gardner scored 58 to take the team home•BCCI

A close finish was in the offing. Gujarat Giants (GG) were stifled early in a small chase. Then came an expensive ninth over that went for three fours and a six as Ashleigh Gardner took on rookie Prema Rawat. It turned the scales the way of GG emphatically, as a tricky chase against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) turned into a canter.It left RCB winless at home in three games so far this season. It also meant three sides – RCB, GG and UP Warriorz – are now tied on four points. This lights up the prospect of a tight finish to the group stage next week in Lucknow and Mumbai.Perry’s rare failureShe came into the tournament under a hip injury cloud, but her batting form didn’t seem to suggest any problem. Coming in on the back of 90*, 81, 7 and 57, Ellyse Perry was out for the first duck in her WPL career when she mistimed Gardner to Tanuja Kanwar at square leg off her fourth ball. That wicket, coming on the back of Danni Wyatt-Hodge’s lbw in the first over to Deandra Dottin, left RCB 16 for 2 in two overs.Gautam sizzles; Mandhana fizzlesIt was an uneasy stay at the crease for Smriti Mandhana, repeatedly squared up and beaten on the outside edge by 21-year-old Kashvee Gautam, one of the brightest Indian fast bowlers on show in WPL 2025. Mandhana struggled against late movement as Gautam’s first two overs went for just four. All that pressure led to a wicket at the other end when Mandhana was predictably out to spin yet again when she slog-swept Kanwar to Harleen Deol at deep midwicket for 10 off 20 balls.Kashvee Gautam has been the brightest young Indian fast bowler at the WPL•BCCI

Ahuja injects momentumDuring the season spent away at rehabilitation after a back injury last year, Kanika Ahuja set herself clear goals. She didn’t want to be known as a “five-ball batter” in the WPL anymore. She worked hard on her power game, shades of which were on display on Thursday as she laid into Priya Mishra, the legspinner.She read the googly off the hand and her manner of stepping out to imperiously loft her twice in the over, including the first six of the innings, spoke volumes of her growth. Ahuja would repeat that two overs later when she stepped out to launch Gardner. Her 33 off 27 before falling to Kanwar led to another RCB slip-up. Georgia Wareham’s cameo of 20 then helped them to 125 for 7, their joint-lowest total in the WPL.Renuka gives RCB hopeGG went with a third opening combination in five games. Dayalan Hemalatha, the latest to join the game of musical chairs, did little to repay the faith following scores of 9, 0 and 4 in her precious three innings. Having been reprieved early when Wyatt-Hodge misjudged a catch at mid-off, she was out stumped looking to heave Renuka Singh for 11. Mandhana’s decision to bowl Renuka out up top paid dividends when Beth Mooney holed out to deep midwicket as GG were reduced to 32 for 2 in the seventh.Gardner tees offA 19-run over off Rawat in the ninth turned the tide for GG as Gardner fed off Rawat’s inexperience, expertly using the depth of the crease to pull, while also showing her driving abilities when the ball was tossed up. The surge in momentum was such that even Deol’s brain fade in trying to hit out against Wareham didn’t lead to any panic.Litchfield reverse-sweeps away to gloryPhoebe Litchfield, playing in only her second game of the competition, exhibited tremendous game awareness and played a succession of reverse sweeps to negate Sneh Rana’s threat to quickly offset any pressure, while ensuring the required rate swiftly went down. She was also aided by some luck when Richa Ghosh put her down on 11 off Rana with GG needing 39 off 42.This didn’t affect her tempo or her adventurousness, which also greatly helped Gardner, who hit Wareham for back-to-back sixes on her way to her third half-century of the season, this time off 28 balls. Gardner and Litchfield’s 51-run stand off just 36 ensured the match was won with 21 balls to spare, greatly helping GG boost their net run-rate even though they stay fifth.

شهدت مباراة مانشستر سيتي وبرينتفورد، إصابة أحد لاعبي الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي السماوي، خلال منتصف الشوط الأول، في المواجهة التي تجمعهما ضمن منافسات الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

ويواجه مانشستر سيتي نظيره برينتفورد، ضمن منافسات الجولة السابعة من بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز “بريميرليج” على ملعب “جيتك كوميونيتي ستاديوم”، في تمام الساعة السادسة والنصف مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة ومكة المكرمة.

في الدقيقة 20، سقط رودري على أرض الملعب فجأة وظهر على وجهه علامات الحزن، بسبب عدم استطاعته استكمال المباراة، وخرج وحل نيكو بديلًا له.

ويمتلك مانشستر سيتي 10 نقاط ويحتل المركز الثامن في جدول ترتيب الدوري الإنجليزي، بينما يتواجد برينتفورد في المركز الـ14 برصيد 7 نقاط.

اقرأ أيضًا.. فيديو | هالاند يسجل هدف مانشستر سيتي الأول أمام برينتفورد

وسجل الدولي النرويجي إيرلينج هالاند، الهدف الأول لصالح مانشستر سيتي في الدقيقة التاسعة من عمر المباراة.

ومرر جفارديول تمريرة طويلة وانطلق إيرلينج هالاند نحو الكرة، وتغلب على سيب فان دن بيرج وناثان كولينز وسدد بقوة في مرمى الحارس كاويمين كيليهر.

Leeds United are on the verge of playing their first match in the Premier League for more than two years as they prepare to welcome Everton to Elland Road on Monday night.

The Whites won the Championship title with a staggering haul of 100 points last season, and now have to show that they have what it takes to avoid an instant relegation back down to the second tier.

Daniel Farke watched on as the two teams that came up alongside Leeds put in contrasting performances on Saturday, with Burnley losing 3-0 to Tottenham and Sunderland smashing West Ham United 3-0.

The West Yorkshire outfit will be hoping for closer to Sunderland’s fortunes, as they look to kick off the new season with three points on the board in front of their home supporters.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin arrived on a free transfer on Friday, having left Everton, and it remains to be seen if he will make his debut in the match.

Leeds do, however, still need to sign an attacking midfielder before the end of the window to provide Calvert-Lewin, and others, with chances to find the back of the net.

Why Leeds need to sign an attacking midfielder

Whilst Farke has promised not to rigidly stick to his principles, following his struggles at Norwich, getting relegated from the Premier League in the past, the German boss will not abandon the way he wants his teams to play.

This means that the 4-2-3-1 formation, which was the go-to for Leeds in the Championship, may get plenty of use in the top-flight in the current campaign.

With this in mind, the Whites need to sign a new option for the number ten position because Brenden Aaronson may not have what it takes to make the step up, after scoring one goal in 36 games in the Premier League in the 2022/23 campaign, per Sofascore.

Bristol City (A)

0

0

Burnley (H)

0

0

Sunderland (A)

0

0

Sheffield United (H)

0

0

Coventry (H)

0

0

Coventry (A)

0

0

Burnley (A)

0

0

Sunderland (H)

0

0

Sheffield United (A)

0

0

Bristol City (H)

0

0

As you can see in the table above, the USA international also failed to deliver a single goal or assist in his ten appearances against the other five teams in the top six in the Championship last season.

Aaronson has not shown enough in the final third to suggest that he has Premier League quality, which may be why the Whites have recently been linked with an interest in Leicester City star Bilal El Khannouss.

The Morocco international, who has delivered two assists in two Championship games this season, is not the only attacking midfielder on the club’s radar, though.

Leeds have interest in Dutch playmaker

According to EFL Analysis, Leeds United have an interest in £14m-rated Sheffield United attacking midfielder Gustavo Hamer, as they look to bolster their squad before the end of the window.

The report claims that the Championship champions are ‘huge admirers’ of the former Coventry City sensation, and that PSV have also been linked with the midfield star.

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Speaking to EFL Analysis, though, journalist Graeme Bailey said: “I don’t think that they ever wanted Gus Hamer to go, and as it’s looking now, there’s certainly a good chance that he stays.

“He’s the captain and I think, despite the scoreline against Bristol City, Ruben Selles actually got them playing some wonderful football and it looks as if that system will suit Hamer.”

These comments suggest that it will not be an easy deal for Leeds to do before the window slams shut, because the Blades are not actively looking to cash in on their captain.

Why Leeds should sign Gustavo Hamer

The Whites should be pushing to convince them to part ways with Hamer, though, because he would be an even better option than El Khannouss to play in the attacking midfield position for Farke.

Both attacking midfielders have played in the Premier League in teams that were relegated from the division at the first time of asking, but it was the Dutchman who showed more potential to deliver in a better team.

Appearances

36

32

xG

2.97

1.31

Goals

4

2

Big chances created

10

8

xA

4.55

3.11

Assists

6

3

As you can see in the table above, Hamer scored twice as many goals and registered twice as many assists in the top-flight in comparison to El Khannouss in his season in the division with Sheffield United in the 2023/24 campaign.

These statistics suggest that the Blades star, dubbed “outstanding” by Chris Wilder, would be more suited to hitting the ground running at Elland Road as a solid number ten option for Leeds, because he has shown that he can deliver goals and assists at a fairly impressive rate at that level.

Hamer, who scored a sensational goal from the halfway line against Birmingham City this month, also delivered ten goals and eight assists in all competitions for Sheffield United last season, per Sofascore, in their Championship campaign.

El Khannouss, meanwhile, has yet to score more than three goals in a single season in all competitions in his career, per Sofascore, which means that he has yet to prove himself as a consistent goal threat.

This suggests that signing Hamer would be less of a gamble for Leeds, because he has proven more in his career and delivered more impressive performances at Premier League level, and that is what the Whites need as they look to avoid relegation this season.

Therefore, the Sheffield United star would be a way better option than El Khannouss for Farke’s side this summer, because he appears to have a much greater chance of hitting the ground running and making an instant impact on the pitch in the top-flight as an attacking midfielder.

Instant Calvert-Lewin upgrade: Leeds lining up move for "special" £35m star

Leeds United are reportedly eyeing up a new striker who would be an instant upgrade on Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

1 ByDan Emery Aug 17, 2025

ساهم محمد صلاح نجم ليفربول الإنجليزي في فوز الريدز ضد إيفرتون بهدفين لهدف على ملعب أنفيلد في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وارتفع رصيد ليفربول للنقطة 15 في صدارة ترتيب الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، بينما تجمد رصيد إيفرتون عند النقطة السابعة في المركز الثامن.

ونجح النجم المصري محمد صلاح في صناعة أحد هدفي ليفربول في المباراة، حيث صنع الهدف الافتتاحي الذي سجله لاعب خط الوسط الهولندي ريان جرافينبرخ في الدقيقة العاشرة.

أقرأ أيضاً.. ماكينة صناعة أهداف لا تتوقف.. إحصائيات رائعة لـ محمد صلاح في الدوري الإنجليزي

وعزز المهاجم الفرنسي هوجو إيكتيكي تقدم ليفربول بالهدف الثاني الذي سجله بصناعة لاعب خط الوسط الهولندي ريان جرافينبرخ في الدقيقة 29.

وفي الدقيقة 56 سجل إدريسا جايي لاعب خط الوسط السنغالي هدف إيفرتون بتسديدة لا تصد ولا ترد من داخل منطقة الجزاء.

وفي تصريح لمدرب ليفربول آرني سلوت بعد الفوز ضد إيفرتون عن موقف بعض اللاعبين من المشاركة ضد ساوثهامبتون في كأس رابطة المحترفين الإنجليزية، فقد أكد غياب المصري محمد صلاح.

وقال سلوت في تصريح لشبكة “آنفيلد كريست” عن اللاعبين الخمسة الذين لعبوا 90 دقيقة 3 مرات هذا الأسبوع وهم صلاح وفان دايك وسوبوسلاي وجرافنبيرخ وكوناتي: “أستطيع أن أخبركم الآن أنكم لن تروهم يوم الثلاثاء، إذا كان ذلك سيفيد ساوثهامبتون فإنهم سيعلمون ذلك”.

وأضاف مشيداً بعمل محمد صلاح اليوم: “لقد قدم أداء جيد للغاية والآن ربما يكون في دائرة الضوء أكثر بسبب هذه الأهداف والتمريرات الحاسمة، وحتى لو لم يقم بذلك فإنه يلعب بشكل جيد حقاً، ومن الجيد أنه بعد ست مباريات يوجد شئ أكثر إيجابية من الموسم الماضي”.

Nottingham Forest are working hard to secure new arrivals and could be given a helping hand by claiming a sizeable windfall from one of their first-team assets, according to reports.

Nottingham Forest remain in deadlock over Morgan Gibbs-White

Truthfully, nothing of note has changed in Morgan Gibbs-White’s precarious situation at Nottingham Forest after they threatened to take legal action against Tottenham Hotspur following the latter triggering the England international’s release clause.

While it remains to be seen whether the former Wolverhampton Wanderers man stays in the Midlands, the Tricky Trees have reportedly identified Aston Villa’s Jacob Ramsey as a replacement.

Everton and West Ham United are also interested in the midfielder, though Ben Jacobs has also confirmed that Bilal El Khannouss is another Nottingham Forest option.

Addressing their interest in the Leicester City playmaker, he stated: “It’s buying Forest time and in the time taken, Forest are looking at Morgan Gibbs-White replacements, which tells you they still think there’s a chance he could go to Spurs.

“Bilal El Khannouss, at Leicester, is one name to watch. He has a 26m euro relegation release clause, and Forest are one of at least three Premier League clubs that have expressed an interest in the Moroccan international.”

Dream Elanga replacement: Nottingham Forest in contact to sign £25m "menace"

Nottingham Forest now need to replace Elanga after his move to Newcastle

ByJoe Nuttall Jul 15, 2025

Jair Cunha and Igor Jesus have arrived at the City Ground from Botafogo, albeit Nuno Espirito Santo has struggled to follow up on bringing in the duo as the marketspace becomes increasingly competitive.

Nevertheless, there is plenty of time left to secure new arrivals, offering optimism that he will eventually put together the components needed for Nottingham Forest to have a successful window, though he will also need to sell players to balance the books.

Botafogo agree deal to sign Nottingham Forest star Danilo

According to Globo Esporte, Botafogo have agreed to sign Nottingham Forest star Danilo and only the final details of a deal remain to be ironed out before his transfer back to Brazil is sealed.

An agreement is in place between all parties, and it is said that the value of his move equates to around £19 million. The former Palmeiras man will sign a four-year contract after negotiations accelerated due to Gregore’s departure to Al-Rayyan.

Danilo’s record at Nottingham Forest

Appearances

62

Goals

6

Assists

4

Labelled “wonderful” by Nuno after unfortunately breaking his ankle, the Salvador-born man has struggled to get back to his best form since and now appears set to reignite his career back in familiar surroundings.

It should be noted that he was initially hesistant to commit to Botafogo amid his association with their rivals, Palmeiras, but he is now ready to take the plunge under Davide Ancelotti’s stewarship.

Nottingham Forest may be losing a talented squad player, though his exit may offer up further funds to pursue reinforcements in the engine room once all documentation is signed and sealed.

After losing to USA in the Super Over in their opening match of T20 World Cup 2024, Pakistan captain Babar Azam felt that their total of 159 for 7 in the regular time was a defendable one given the conditions and their bowling attack.Sent in after losing the toss, Pakistan lost three early wickets and were 30 for 3 at the end of the powerplay. Babar and Shadab Khan helped them recover with a stand of 72 off 48 for the fourth wicket but USA tied the game and went to win in the Super Over.”Today’s wicket had help for the fast bowlers in the first six overs,” Babar said at the post-match presentation. “But later on, I didn’t feel it was a different wicket. It settled down a bit. Because of the early start – the matches are starting at 10.30am – the fast bowlers will obviously get a little help. There was some juice in the pitch early morning. So they utilised that and executed their plan.”Even in the second innings, I think we also got help, but we were not up to the mark in terms of our bowling areas. We lacked in that in the first ten overs. We came back after that but they had already taken the momentum. But given the bowlers we have, we should have defended that total. On this pitch, I think it was a defendable total for our bowling.Related

• Imad Wasim passed fit to play India

• From computers to cricket: how Saurabh Netravalkar coded USA's greatest script

• Monank Patel after Super Over win: We should have finished the game in regular time

• A day to believe cricket is not just an American Dream

• USA outclass sloppy Pakistan in thrilling Super Over finish

“We are better than that in the bowling. We did not take wickets in the first six overs. In the middle overs, if your spinner is not taking wickets, then the pressure is on you. After ten overs, we did come back but I think the way they finished game in the Super Over, the credit goes to the US team.”For Pakistan, Mohammad Amir conceded 18 in the Super Over. It included three wide deliveries, and seven extras in all as the USA batters, Aaron Jones and Harmeet Singh, kept running for wides too. Pakistan, in response, could manage only 13.”He [Amir] is an experienced bowler,” Babar said. “He knows how to bowl and we were just trying to bowl according to field. But I think the US batsmen were smart. Even when the ball went to the keeper, they were running. So I think that thing was a plus point for them in the Super Over.”Babar Azam never really got going and finished with a 43-ball 44•Associated Press

At the same time, Babar also rued not making use of the platform set by Shadab and him. They had taken Pakistan to 98 for 4 in the 13th over but left-arm spinner Nosthush Kenjige dismissed Shadab and Azam Khan off successive balls to dent them again.”In the first six overs, the ball was holding a bit and seaming around,” Babar said. “So it was important to build a partnership. When Shadab and I had that partnership, we got momentum. I think when we lost the wickets back to back, that was the turning point. The momentum we had was shifted towards the other side.”It was difficult in the beginning, but we covered it up. But as a professional unit, the middle order needs to step up in such situations. This is not an excuse – I don’t think it was that they played well, I think we played badly.”Did Pakistan, the runners-up of the 2022 edition, take first-timers USA lightly?”See, whenever you come to any tournament, you do the best preparation always,” Babar said. “You can say it’s a kind of mindset. When you come up against a team like this, you relax a little. If you don’t execute your plan against any team, then whatever team it is, they will make you pay. So I believe that our execution was not up to the mark. We were doing well in the preparation but in the match, we did not execute our plans as a team.”

Manchester United are thought to be close to signing a second major transfer target of the summer after Matheus Cunha.

Man Utd targeting more attacking signings after Cunha

The Red Devils and INEOS made an early start on their summer transfer business by securing the services of Matheus Cunha.

Those at Old Trafford triggered the Brazilian’s £62.5m release clause to sign him from Wolves, and after signing for Man Utd, Cunha said:

Cunha may well be used by Ruben Amorim in one of two attacking number 10 positions behind a striker in a 3-4-2-1 system, so more firepower in the final third is on the agenda at Old Trafford.

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Manchester United appear to be making moves towards a new centre-forward this summer.

2 ByEthan Lamb Jun 17, 2025

On the search for a centre-forward, Man Utd have been linked with Hugo Ekitike of Eintracht Frankfurt and Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres.

Meanwhile, another versatile attacker that has been wanted for weeks is Brentford star Bryan Mbuemo. Despite interest from Spurs and new manager Thomas Frank, Man Utd are the ones who have had a verbal agreement in place to sign the Cameroon international.

Indeed, INEOS have been preparing a huge salary offer worth £13m per season to lure the forward to Manchester, a wage that works out at £250,000-a-week. Now, a new development has emerged, and one that will be music to the ears of many Man Utd supporters.

Man Utd now “very close” to signing Mbuemo after talks intensify

According to reports from Spain, Man Utd are now “very close” to signing Mbuemo from Brentford.

It is claimed that ‘contacts with the player’s entourage and with Brentford itself have intensified from Manchester’ and that ‘negotiations, which have been ongoing for weeks, have progressed significantly’.

Amorim has also given the green light to a deal, but no fee is mentioned in the new update. As many will know, Man Utd had an initial offer rejected for Mbuemo worth up to £55m as the Bees value their star at more than £60m.

Games

38

33

Goals

20

15

Assists

8

6

Presumably, a deal, should it go through, will be around that figure, and it looks like a transfer is on course to be completed imminently following this latest update.

Wrexham are now looking to raid newly relegated Cardiff City, having identified a striker as a potential summer transfer target, according to transfer expert Graeme Bailey.

Red Dragons preparing for life in the Championship

The Red Dragons achieved a historic third promotion on the spin last season, courtesy of a second-placed finish in League One, but owners Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds are now faced with their most daunting task to date.

Clubs like Sunderland, Leeds United and Nottingham Forest have found it very difficult to get out of the Championship in the past, so the Hollywood owners will be under no illusions about how difficult it will be to achieve their dream of Premier League promotion.

As such, manager Phil Parkinson may have to make major changes to his squad this summer, and potential targets have already been identified, with Dungannon forward Tomas Galvin believed to be among them.

Parkinson may be particularly keen on bringing in a new striker, given that Ollie Palmer and Paul Mullin netted just six League One goals between them last season, with the latter falling down the pecking order after playing a key role in previous promotions.

It could be a wise idea to bring in a striker with Championship experience ahead of the upcoming campaign, and Bailey has now told Wrexham Insider that the Welsh side are eyeing a raid on Cardiff City, following the Bluebirds’ relegation to League One.

Bailey said: “Wrexham are also aware of Cardiff duo Ollie Tanner and Isaak Davies – both players are on their radar.”

Davies is the striker in question, with the Welshman making nine appearances for Cardiff in the latter stages of the 2024-25 Championship campaign, finding the back of the net twice.

Reynolds and McElhenney plotting Wrexham move to sign "great" 7-goal star

He could be their first Championship signing…

ByTom Cunningham Apr 29, 2025 "Excellent" Davies could reignite career at Wrexham

The Welshman missed large parts of the 2024-25 campaign through injury, before playing a sporadic role upon his return from a hamstring problem late in the season, often being utilised as a substitute at right-midfield.

However, there are signs the Aberdare-born forward could be better suited to the role of striker, having shown a keen eye for goal during his time on loan with KV Kortrijk in the Belgian Pro League, scoring 12 goals in the 2023-24 campaign and scooping up the Player of the Year award.

The £6.5k-a-week Cardiff ace has also impressed former manager Steve Morison in the past, being lauded as “excellent” in the 2021-22 campaign, during which time he managed to pick up two goals and two assists in the Championship.

At just 23-years-old, Davies is still in the early stages of his career, with room for development, and a move to Wrexham could make sense this summer, given that Mullin and Palmer struggled in front of goal during the 2024-25 campaign.