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It has been a rough month for Manchester United as despite being the in-form team in the Premier League at one point, they have managed to throw away what looked to be a comfortable win against Galatasaray and, perhaps even worse, fell to a humbling 1-0 defeat away to Newcastle United on the weekend.

Now, usually, a 1-0 loss is nothing to sound the alarm about, but it was the manner in which the Red Devils lost, as they were resoundingly beaten on the night and had the Toon had their shooting boots on, it could have, and maybe should have, ended four or five nil.

It is hard to pick out the worst player from Saturday's performance – which is never a good sign – but one starter who certainly has a claim to that most unwanted of accolades is Diogo Dalot.

Diogo Dalot's game in numbers vs Newcastle

The Portuguese full-back started at left-back for the game, which saw Luke Shaw move into the centre of defence – a decision The Athletic reporter Laurie Whitwell claims Ten Hag made to signal his desire for a new left-footed centre-back.

Well, whatever the reason, the decision backfired horribly and led to a performance that Whitwell described as the "worst of the season."

Dalot was one of the chief architects of the abysmal showing and, for that, was given a very generous 4/10 match rating from Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News.

His individual statistics for the match do not make for pretty reading in the slightest, with the worst of them all being that he lost the ball 23 times, which is a statistic so genuinely woeful for a Premier League player that it is almost impressive – almost.

The former Porto man played for the full 99 minutes, meaning he lost the ball on average, every four minutes – no wonder Anthony Gordon's goal originated from Dalot's side.

99

0.01

4

1

9 (4)

2 (1)

23

59%

2 (0)

2 (0)

The reasons why Diogo Dalot must be dropped vs Chelsea

While Hen Hag might be set on making his point about the team's need for a left-footed centre-back, playing Shaw there and keeping Dalot on the left is likely a faster way to get his p45 than it is a new defender.

With how woeful the Braga-born full-back was on Saturday, the Dutchman must relent and go back to playing Shaw in his natural position against Chelsea this evening, as while there is a questionable level of quality in this team, the Englishman is undeniably one of the best in the league in his position.

He was chosen to start on the left of a back four against Everton at the end of November, and guess what? The Red Devils emerged from that game as 3-0 winners, and despite some nervous moments here and there, they generally looked the better side over 90 minutes.

The former Southampton defender had a great game at Goodison Park as well and was suitably praised for it, with Samuel Luckhurst giving him an eight out of ten and arguing that he 'made a huge difference to the balance of the defence and provided some dynamism in attack.'

His individual statistics from the game also make for much nicer reading than Dalot's, as, most notably, the 28-year-old did not lose the ball 23 times.

76

0.01

3

1

4 (3)

2 (2)

9

80%

1 (1)

Ultimately, ten Hag's side are going through a tumultuous period, and while Shaw is unlikely to come in and set the world ablaze like some hope he will, the increasingly under-pressure manager can at least rely on him to not lose the ball every four minutes.

With Mauricio Pochettino's Blues coming to Old Trafford later today, that defensive alteration must take place.

Former Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster has unleashed an attack on Casemiro after the Red Devils drew 2-2 against Bournemouth last weekend.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Casemiro criticized for Bournemouth draw
• Ben Foster calls the Brazilian a 'disgrace'
• Club likely to sell Casemiro in the summer

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Red Devils were fortunate to avoid loss at the Vitality Stadium against Bournemouth last time out, as the Cherries were denied a late penalty, departing the south coast with a 2-2 draw. Foster was incensed with Casemiro for failing to stop Justin Kluivert's second goal for Bournemouth.

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  WHAT FOSTER SAID

  Speaking on his YouTube channel, The Cycling GK, Foster said [via The Mirror]: "The second goal, Casemiro, he’s a holding midfielder. He should be that engine, that rat in the midfield, the disruptor – somebody that breaks up all the attacks, gets in people’s faces.

  "The second goal, for me, is an absolute disgrace. It’s an absolute disgrace. He’s allowed to wander into that space and get his shot off. Casemiro almost notices at the last second, meanders in, hangs a leg in there.

  "And I’m thinking, do you know what? If I was a manager of a team and my holding midfielder did that, that action there and then, I’d say that’ll do. You, come off."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Having dropped crucial points, Aston Villa's lead of 13 points has effectively ruined Man Utd's ambitions of making the top four this season. They currently sit in seventh place in the Premier League standings level on points with Newcastle. If the club drop more points than the Magpies, they will lose out on the chance to play in Europe altogether.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR CASEMIRO?

  It has been heavily reported that the Red Devils under the guidance of Sir Jim Ratcliffe could move Casemiro on this summer after his dismal season under Erik Ten Hag. He will likely play a major part for the rest of the season for the club with injuries plaguing the squad.

Chelsea are starting to see their staggering investments in the transfer window pay dividends on the pitch.

In the 4-1 victory over rivals Tottenham Hotspur, Nicolas Jackson plundered in a second-half hat-trick to lead his side to victory against nine men, preceding a penalty from Cole Palmer – two players who were brought to the club in the summer from Villarreal and Manchester City, respectively.

On Sunday, that duo played a pivotal role once more, getting their name on the scoresheet in an enthralling encounter with City that ended 4-4, with Palmer smashing a penalty past Ederson in the 95th minute, equalising proceedings against his former employers.

Throughout that captivating fixture, it wasn't just the new boys who starred. Chelsea's current longest-serving player, Reece James, put in a monstrous performance down the right flank for the Blues.

Reece James' statistics against Manchester City

A fully fit and firing James is arguably the best right back on the planet, as hailed on several occasions by many, including Ian Wright.

“He’s easily one of the best right-backs in the world at the minute,” Wright said on Match of the Day after James scored twice against Newcastle United in November 2021.

Since that outstanding 2021/22 campaign, in which he recorded five goals and nine assists in the Premier League – the joint most goal contributions from a full-back in the division – the Englishman has seen injuries hamper his progression further.

A series of knee and hamstring issues saw him only make 16 appearances in the top flight last term but since returning from his latest injury, which saw him miss nine games at the start of this campaign, the 23-year-old has been nothing short of phenomenal.

He's captained the side in the Carabao Cup win over Blackburn Rovers, victory against Spurs and draw with Man City, but it was the latter of those performances that impressed the most.

Not only did he assist Raheem Sterling for his goal, but he also made the most tackles in the match (5) and pocketed the dangerous Jeremy Doku, won six of his nine ground duels and accurately placed three of his four long balls, as per Sofascore.

Lauded as "sensational" for his performance against the champions by journalist Felix Johnston as Doku struggled to get past a seemingly immovable object, James provided a searing indication of his qualities.

Yet, it seems remarkable that a fellow right back, currently plying his trade in Chelsea's youth setup, has also sparkled of late and could well be a future heir to the Englishman's crown.

Josh Acheampong's statistics this season

Aspiring to break into the first team as James did, Aceampong is a 17-year-old right back who joined the development centre programme as an U8 and has the capabilities to play in multiple positions across the back line.

While he's operated as a centre-back on numerous occasions – as James can also do – the teenager boasts the explosive pace and power that has seen him flourish as an attacking wing-back.

At the age of 16, he stepped up to Chelsea's under-18's last term, making ten appearances in Premier League 2 – scoring three goals from right back – including a thunderous match-winner against rivals Tottenham in November 2022.

It's this outstanding form, especially in attack, that has seen him feature a further five times for the under-18s, grabbing one assist, while his rapid rate of development rewarded him with a call-up to the England U17 World Cup, where he played a starring role in the tournament opener.

The Young Lions demolished New Caledonia 10-0 and the Chelsea starlet, who was dubbed by journalist Antonio Mango as "sensational" for his performance, scored and assisted in a near-faultless display.

Goals

1

Assists

1

Accurate passes

98%

Key passes

2

Long balls (acc.)

3 (3)

Aerial duels (won)

2 (1)

Interceptions

2

All stats via Sofascore

With a fixture against Brazil to close out the group phase, it will be interesting to see how the youngster performs against opposition with much more quality, but on current evidence, the future is certainly bright for Chelsea's latest homegrown full-back phenomenon.

Everton have seen a host of talent grace the pitch at Goodison Park over the years, with some fond memories looking far away as the club continue to struggle along the path of relegation.

The Blues survived the drop on the final day of the previous two Premier League seasons, with little progression shown in what has been a trialling time for the Toffees both on and off the pitch.

After starting the 2023/24 campaign goalless in their opening three league fixtures, Sean Dyche’s side seem to have found their stride in the final third, and will hope to build enough form throughout the calendar to ensure a less dramatic finish to the season.

Once direction is located, there is little denying that Everton can fix the tracks that derailed them in previous years, with so much talent traceable in their current squad, however the Blues have also lost some stars along the way.

One name that was destined to shine at Goodison was Ademola Lookman, who for an array of reasons failed to succeed on Merseyside, in a fascinating tenure at the club that may come back to haunt the Toffees as he continues to develop elsewhere.

When did Everton sign Ademola Lookman?

In January 2017, Ronald Koeman welcomed Lookman to the squad at Everton in the bid to strengthen the side’s options going forward.

The Nigerian was signed from Charlton Athletic for a fee of just £7.5m after previously impressing in League One, warranting his move to the Premier League as a 19-year-old.

Deployable as a striker and on either flank, Lookman posed a threat that Koeman identified as being a useful element to fuse into the side he was building at Everton, with the teenager admitting that the manager was a big reason why he made the move.

As relayed by Sky Sports, the former England U19 forward touched upon Koeman’s influence on the youth at Southampton, explaining that it was a “big attraction” to him making the decision to sign a deal with the Toffees.

Unlike the typical prospect in England, Lookman took a more unorthodox route to the top flight away from the academy settings of a top club, and made his name in the third-tier with Charlton.

The forward wasn’t the only player who had walked that path, which immediately led to comparisons made to another blockbuster star that had emerged on the scene in the Premier League from the lower leagues in years prior.

What was the reaction when Everton signed Ademola Lookman?

In 2015, Spurs signed MK Dons starlet Dele Alli as an 18-year-old prospect, a player that like Lookman, had excelled in League One as a youngster, rather than being nurtured through an academy.

Alli was mentioned with reference to Lookman's potential career path, with his former manager at Charlton, Karl Robinson, urging the teenager to follow in the footsteps of his former player at MK Dons.

Everton's-Dele-Alli

Speaking to the Guardian, Lookman touched upon conversations he had with Robinson, saying: “I think Robinson saw a lot of similarities in our situations so he wanted me to see Dele at the highest level to show what was possible.”

He recalled his former manager taking him to watch Dele play in the Champions League to portray where hard work could take him, and years later, the first door was opened as he signed for Everton to seal his Premier League move.

Having scored 12 goals in 49 appearances for the Addicks during his time there, it was clear to see just how much potential the teenager had, identical to the thought process of Spurs as they took the gamble to sign Dele, who had scored 16 in his final campaign in League One.

On signing, Koeman reiterated his delight in capturing Lookman, assuring that the club would “take time” to develop his game with the hope that he would one day “have a big part to play”, as relayed by Sky Sports.

How many goals did Ademola Lookman score at Everton?

It didn’t take long for the teenager to repay the faith that Koeman had placed in him, as he netted on his Premier League debut in an astonishing 4-0 win against Manchester City in January 2017.

Lauded as “blistering” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, the youngster continued to earn minutes with the first team in a rotational role, however things quickly changed for the Nigeria international, as his game time became harder to secure.

In a total of 36 Premier League appearances for the Blues, Lookman scored once, starting on just seven occasions, as Everton continued to hunt for a suitable manager to take the club forward as Koeman was dismissed in October 2017.

Two years after his arrival, the Nigerian left having scored just four goals in 48 appearances in all competitions for the Toffees.

What happened to Ademola Lookman?

Despite being given so much faith from Koeman, it was Marco Silva who handed the forward the most time to show his worth, in which he secured 21 Premier League appearances in the 2018/19 campaign.

Ademola Lookman Everton record

Season

Apps

Goals

Assists

2016/17

8

1

0

2017/18

16

2

0

2018/19

23

1

2

Figures via Transfermarkt

Lookman quickly realised that his football wasn’t going to develop in the way he wanted it to at Goodison, which was a view shared by the club, as he was sent on loan in January 2018 to the Bundesliga, joining RB Leipzig on a half-season loan.

It became apparent that Everton’s playing style was the issue, as in Germany, he showed Leipzig his worth by recording nine goal contributions in 11 league appearances, scoring five and assisting four, prompting the Germans to sign him permanently.

There was a lot of confusion as to why the Toffees opted to sell Lookman so prematurely, given that he wasn’t handed a strong enough chance to adapt and showcase his ability in full on Merseyside.

Where is Ademola Lookman now?

There is still a chance that Lookman will fulfil expectations and follow in the path of Dele’s career success, however it wasn’t meant to be at Everton.

After his blockbuster loan spell at Leipzig, the youngster was unable to replicate such form when he joined on a permanent basis, as he endeavoured on two further loan spells back in England, joining both Fulham and Leicester City in the bid to make an impact.

Last summer, Leipzig offloaded the 26-year-old to Italy, as he signed for Atalanta where he has finally begun to show the quality that first lured Koeman towards his signature in 2017.

During his debut season in Serie A, the Nigeria international scored 13 goals and claimed eight assists in 31 appearances, given room to show his talent and play his best football after successive years of looking in different places for consistency.

Lookman wasn’t Everton’s answer to Spurs’ Dele Alli, which was a frustrating reality for the Toffees to accept, with the knowledge always there that they once had a mammoth young talent at their disposal.

Newcastle United are interested in signing a marquee name in January, but there are also two other clubs who are looking to bring him to the Premier League.

Who are Newcastle linked with?

The Magpies are already assessing their options in the market ahead of next year and have been linked with two midfielders in the form of Manchester City’s Kalvin Phillips and Juventus’ Adrien Rabiot, but they are also looking at potential reinforcements in the final third.

PIF and Eddie Howe have reportedly set their sights on Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens and Bayern Munich forward Leroy Sane, but should they fail to secure either of those stars in Germany, the hierarchy could well turn their attention to France.

Back in April, Paris Saint Germain’s right-winger Ousmane Dembele was linked with a move to the northeast because his representative held talks with the Magpies when he flew over to England to watch a game at Sunderland, but he instead ended up making the switch to the Parc Des Princes (90min).

The Ligue 1 star, however, has made an impressive start to life in his homeland having established himself as Luis Enrique’s overall third best-performing player so far this season with a match rating of 7.47 (WhoScored – PSG statistics), which has once again brought him onto the radar at St. James’ Park.

Ousmane Dembele transfer update

According to Spanish reports (via CaughtOffside), sharing an Ousmane Dembele transfer update, Newcastle, Arsenal and Chelsea are all “keeping tabs” on the situation of the attacker at PSG ahead of January.

The Tynesiders “could look to make a move” at the start of the new year as they in particular are looking to bolster their ranks in the final third, but as stated, they will have to fend off interest from their high-profile top-flight rivals.

How many goals has Ousmane Dembele scored?

Since the start of his career, Dembele has posted 134 contributions, 72 assists and 62 goals in 273 appearances (Transfermarkt – Dembele statistics), with his prolific form having seen him described as a “world-class talent” by football scout Jacek Kulig.

Sponsored by Nike, the two-footed ace holds a strong desire to create chances for his fellow teammates even if the ball doesn’t always hit the back of the net having recorded 37 crosses so far this season which is more than any of his peers (FBRef – PSG statistics).

Ousmane Dembele's Strengths	Ousmane Dembele's Weaknesses
Holding onto the ball	Aerial duels
Passing	Defensive contribution
Key passes	(Data via WhoScored)
Crossing
Through balls
Dribbling

Furthermore, Enrique’s £330k-per-week earner (PSG salaries), already knows what it takes to compete and be successful at the highest level having secured ten trophies for both club and country since bursting onto the professional scene, including winning the 2018 World Cup with France.

Therefore, Dembele will possess the same winning mentality that the current squad have at Newcastle, so should the opportunity present itself, this really is a no-brainer of a deal for the hierarchy to pursue in January.

The winger produced the decisive moments at the Bernabeu to maintain Los Blancos' seven-point La Liga lead

With Jude Bellingham sidelined due to his two-game suspension, Real Madrid needed someone to step up in Sunday's clash with Celta Vigo. And Vinicius Jr was the man to answer the call, scoring a crucial goal, creating typical chaos, and leading Los Blancos to a comfortable 4-0 win over their relegation-threatened opponents.

Vinicius opened the scoring for his side, turning the ball home at the far post after an Antonio Rudiger header was parried into his path. Madrid, for their part, created little else in the first half, a series of half-hearted attempts failing to trouble an otherwise solid Celta setup.

Rodrygo could have buried a decisive second after the break, but fired his effort harmlessly at the goalkeeper after running through on goal. Rudiger provided, though, guiding a header off the bar that deflected off an unfortunate Vicente Guaita and into the net.

The third came in the 87th minute, as Vinicius' teasing cross deflected in off a stumbling Carlos Dominguez. Arda Guler then bagged the fourth, rounding the keeper and finishing from a tight angle for his first in a Madrid shirt to round off an agreeable evening.

GOAL rates Real Madrid's players from Santiago Bernabeu…

Getty ImagesGoalkeeper & Defence

Andriy Lunin (6/10):

Relatively untroubled throughout. Had one save to make and did just that.

Lucas Vazquez (7/10):

Got up and down the wing consistently. Created a couple of chances, was dangerous on the dribble. An ideal shift from a consistent backup.

Antonio Rudiger (8/10):

Won an important header to give Madrid the lead. Will take credit for the second, too. Wasn't bullied by Celta's physicality.

Nacho (6/10):

Mostly anonymous, but that wasn't a bad thing for a composed centre-back. Completed 95 percent of his passes.

Ferland Mendy (6/10):

Solid in what was mostly a shielding role to allow Vinicius to do his thing.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesMidfield

Eduardo Camavinga (7/10):

Came close in the first half with a bullet header. Won his tackles and headers. An excellent showing at the No.6.

Federico Valverde (7/10):

Allowed a bit more freedom to get forward than in recent weeks, and seemed to enjoy it. Wreaked havoc in the right channel.

Luka Modric (8/10):

Magic, as always. Created eight chances, completed almost all of his passes, and was at the middle of all of the good things Madrid did.

Brahim Diaz (6/10):

Not quite at his best, but still useful in tight areas.

Getty ImagesAttack

Vinicius Jr (8/10):

Scored the first, made some defenders look silly, and had a big hand in the third.

Rodrygo (6/10):

A bit wasteful in key areas, even if his movement was a real problem.

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Getty ImagesSubs & Manager

Joselu (5/10):

Came on and missed a couple of chances – fortunate that the game was won.

Aurelien Tchouameni (N/A):

No time to make an impact

Toni Kroos (N/A):

A 10-minute cameo. Probably needed the rest.

Arda Guler (7/10):

Scored within five minutes of entering the fray. What a memorable moment.

Dani Ceballos (N/A):

Assisted Guler's goal.

Carlo Ancelotti (7/10):

Rotated significantly, benching Kroos and entrusting Vazquez with all 90 minutes, while also making do without Bellingham. His team were poor in the first half, but really turned it on late. They're making the title charge look far too easy.

ScorecardLancashire’s hopes of qualifying for the knock-out phase of the Royal London One-Day Cup ended despite a 25 run victory at Derby that dented Derbyshire’s chances of emerging from the North Group.Liam Livingstone’s 86 from 73 balls and Jordan Clark’s 51 from 40 balls took the Lightning to 290 for 8 with Duanne Olivier taking 2 for 36 from nine overs.A century opening stand from Billy Godleman (73) and Ben Slater put Derbyshire on course before Lancashire’s spinners turned the game as the home side ended on 265 for 8 but results elsewhere put the Lightning out.Derbyshire backed up their decision to bowl first with some disciplined bowling that restricted Lancashire to 42 from the first Powerplay with Haseeb Hameed dropped at deep midwicket on two.Hardus Viljoen found some late movement to have Hameed caught behind for 26 in the 13th over but Livingstone picked up the tempo by pulling Matt Critchley for six and then lifting Alex Hughes high over wide long on.Hughes had Alex Davies lbw caught on the crease for 39 from 58 balls before Livingstone hit his third six when he pulled Critchley over the pavilion and into the car park.A ramp over the wicketkeeper took him to 50 from 35 balls and Dane Vilas improvised well after surviving a difficult running catch on nine until he scooped Ravi Rampaul to deep cover in the 31st over.Livingstone drove Viljoen straight into the stand and looked set for a hundred until he tried to ramp the fast bowler and was bowled in the 37th over.The Lightning were in danger of falling short when Rob Jones missed a sweep at Wayne Madsen in the 40th over but Clark responded impressively to ensure they posted a competitive total by reaching 50 from 39 balls before edging a big drive at Olivier in the 48th over.Godleman and Slater came into the game on the back of an opening stand of 182 at Northampton on Friday and they established another solid launching pad by taking 55 from the opening powerplay.Godleman reached 50 from 48 balls and Slater brought up the century stand by driving Matt Parkinson for six but was beaten by the next ball and lost his middle stump.Madsen survived a fierce return chance to Parkinson before he was run out after being sent back and when Jones brought off a stunning diving catch at mid on to remove Hughes, the momentum was shifting towards Lancashire.Derbyshire’s progress had stalled against the spinners and Critchley’s attempts to break free against Stephen Parry only ended in the hands of long off.Godleman also fell to Parry and although Viljoen smashed four sixes in 34 ball 50, it could not save Derbyshire from a defeat that leaves them in fourth place with one game to play.

Heino Kuhn has become the latest South Africa international to take the Kolpak route into county cricket after signing a contract with Kent

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Mar-2018

Heino Kuhn presses forward to defend•Getty Images

Heino Kuhn has become the latest South Africa international to take the Kolpak route into county cricket after signing a contract with Kent.Kuhn, the Titans wicketkeeper-batsman, opened for South Africa in all four Tests on their tour of England last year, although he only averaged 14.12 with a top score of 34 and has since been replaced by Aiden Markram. Kuhn, 33, has also been capped seven times in T20Is. He will be available for Kent in all formats.”I’m delighted to get the opportunity to play county cricket and I’m looking forward to joining the Kent squad,” Kuhn said. “I want to contribute positively to the team and bring my experience from winning trophies in South Africa.”Kent have been in need of a top-order batsman after the departure of Sam Northeast and will be strengthened by the arrival of a player who has scored almost 10,000 runs in first-class cricket at an average of 43.48, with 23 hundreds.He will join another South Africa-born top-order batsman, Sean Dickson – who has a UK passport – at Canterbury, as well as former fast bowler Allan Donald, who has recently started in the role of Kent’s assistant coach.Paul Downton, Kent’s new director of cricket, said: “We’re delighted to welcome a player of Heino’s quality and experience to the club. We believe Heino can complement our talented batsmen across the three formats and serve as a mentor to those coming through the ranks.”The South African game has seen a drain of players giving up on their international careers in order to take advantage of the financial security offered by county deals. Last year, Kyle Abbott was the most prominent Kolpak departure, while Morne Morkel has been linked with several clubs after announcing his South Africa retirement last month.

Crystal Palace were busy late in the summer transfer window, but it may have created a problem for manager Roy Hodgson.

The Eagles announced the signing of Dean Henderson from Manchester United in the final few days, for a reported fee of around £20m including add-ons.

The 26-year-old glovesman spent last season on loan at Premier League newcomers Nottingham Forest, although a thigh injury picked up in January cut his season short.

Despite his sizable price tag, the competition at Palace leaves no guarantee that Henderson will walk straight into the starting eleven.

Ahead of the recent fixture with Wolves, manager Hodgson said he now has two “top, top-class goalkeepers” in Henderson and fellow Englishman Sam Johnstone.

Hodgson followed up with this by naming Johnstone in the starting eleven for the Wolves fixture, while Henderson watched on from the sidelines, raising the question among many fans on how the new signing will be able to earn his place ahead of his competition.

Now, journalist Dean Jones has revealed the latest on Henderson’s position at Crystal Palace speaking to GIVEMESPORT.

What did Dean Jones reveal about Henderson’s position?

Jones has explained the current goalkeeper situation at Palace, claiming Henderson will have to “properly fight” if he wants to take the spot from Johnstone

.

He said:

“I don't think [Henderson] will win the battle soon. I think that from everything I understand at Crystal Palace, he has to properly fight Johnstone for this number one shirt.

“I'm not sure Roy Hodgson particularly likes the idea of having a full-on goalkeeper battle for an entire season.

“He likes to have a tried and tested system, particularly defensively, so that everybody understands their roles and each other.

“I don't really know how this is going to play out in terms of having two goalkeepers that really want to be playing week in, week out going up against each other.

“But from everything I understand, for the foreseeable future, Johnstone is going to be the guy starting.”

What next for Henderson?

The update may be of a slight concern to Henderson, who could now find himself in a similar position to the one he was in at Old Trafford, having to be a backup to the no.1.

This topic was brought up in his first interview with the club following his arrival and when asked about any prior relationships with the current squad, Henderson responded that he and Johnstone are both “great friends” and will “support each other” regardless of who gets the nod in goal.

While it is of course too early to make conclusions, it would certainly surprise fans should Henderson be used primarily as a backup keeper after joining for a sizable transfer fee, and he can expect to earn the right to play by performing when given the opportunities.

The shot-stopper has also made his intentions clear that he wants to impress England boss Gareth Southgate ahead of next summer’s European Championship tournament, having lost his place in the national team with Jordan Pickford, Aaron Ramsdale and Nick Pope all ahead of him.

The India captain has been in the spotlight off the field, but his returns on it are dwindling

Shashank Kishore27-Sep-20252:05

Is captaincy affecting SKY’s form?

Suryakumar Yadav’s last act on the field against Sri Lanka on Friday was a punch through the covers to seal India’s victory in the Super Over. But before that moment of assurance at the finish, he had seemed like a man just beginning to be affected by his poor form.During India’s first innings, Suryakumar had chosen to review an lbw decision against him despite knowing that it was almost certainly out. One of T20 cricket’s most feared batters had scores of only 0, 5 and 12 in his last three innings at the Asia Cup.His performance in this tournament is in keeping with a pool of scores that is hard-hitting. In ten innings this year, India’s T20I captain has managed just 99 runs with three ducks, while striking at 110. Go back further, from just after India’s T20 World Cup win in June 2024 to now, his numbers get only marginally better: 329 runs in 19 innings with two half-centuries.Related

• Suryakumar found guilty of breaching code of conduct

• Suryakumar: India vs Pakistan isn't a rivalry anymore

• Arshdeep's masterclass helps India pull off heist

There doesn’t seem to be an apparent weakness or loophole in his game, though his propensity to premeditate – like that pick-up flick he plays nonchalantly – has caused his downfall a few times in this Asia Cup alone. Away from the glare of the game, there seems to be no issue with Suryakumar’s batting. He’s striking the ball sweetly at training, but that fluency has been missing on match days. This lean run has come at a time when the spotlight is on him for different reasons – for his gestures, expressions, comments, press conference quips, and the biggest of them all, handshake-gate. There have been disciplinary hearings off the field and drastic batting-order shuffles on it.On Friday, Suryakumar had an opportunity to find his rhythm in a dead rubber, but he flickered before fizzling out for 12 off 13 balls. An on-the-up cover drive for four off Maheesh Theekshana was as good as it got. He kept getting beaten while playing down the wrong line. A nip backer from Dushmantha Chameera beat his inside edge, and he got a leading edge over point off a slower one.Suryakumar Yadav fell for another low score against Sri Lanka•AFP/Getty ImagesSuryakumar’s first attempt at a sweep also resulted in a leading edge on to the grille of his helmet as he misread the length. He was lbw in the same over, premeditating a sweep against Wanindu Hasaraga, getting caught in a tangle and hit flush on the pad by a full delivery. He walked off tossing his bat, with a rueful look up to the sky.His only significant innings in this tournament was in the group game against Pakistan, when he struck an unbeaten 47, finishing the chase with a six and walking off with his usual gum-chewing swagger. That knock barely registered because the discourse was dominated by handshake-gate.Through all this, his commitment to his team’s needs has not wavered. He’s been the loudest advocate for flexibility in batting roles, that everyone below the openers must be ready to move up or down. Against Oman, Suryakumar chose to push himself down to No. 11, giving the likes of Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh and Kuldeep Yadav time in the middle instead.Thirteen T20I innings without a fifty is uncharted territory. Suryakumar endured barren series in South Africa and at home against England, but had a blazing IPL before this Asia Cup. He amassed 717 runs at a strike rate of 167.91 for Mumbai Indians, scoring 25-plus in 16 consecutive innings, which is why the continued downturn in international cricket is a surprise.After the Super Four game against Pakistan, Suryakumar made headlines for his proclamation that India vs Pakistan is no longer a rivalry. For all his chatter and quips, nothing will speak louder than runs in Sunday’s Asia Cup final against Pakistan.