Sunderland go into Wednesday night’s game away at Preston North End eager to pick up another three points, after a disappointing result against Queens Park Rangers last match in the Championship.

Regis Le Bris’ men – who had mustered up back-to-back wins on their travels before making the mammoth journey down to Loftus Road – had to settle for a share of the points in the end in a 0-0 draw, despite QPR occupying a spot in the league’s relegation zone.

The win slipped out of their hands courtesy of a red card picked up by Jobe Bellingham near the hour mark, as the energetic midfielder arguably let his side down.

Bellingham's form this season

It hasn’t been a breathtaking start to the new second-tier campaign by Bellingham, with the constantly growing 19-year-old only managing two goals and an assist from his 13 league games to date.

His worst performance of the season so far came at QPR, with a crunching tackle on Zan Celar not going unnoticed by the referee, who gave the promising Sunderland ace his marching orders.

Le Bris didn’t even think twice about attempting to appeal the teenager’s dismissal, with the ex-Lorient boss stating that the decision was “fair and clear” after rewatching the incident post-match.

With the promotion-chasing Black Cats now without Bellingham for three matches in the league, Le Bris has already stated that experienced former Preston North End man Alan Browne is a likely replacement.

Competition

Date

Game

Championship

6th November 2024

Preston (A)

Championship

9th November 2024

Coventry (H)

Championship

23rd November 2024

Millwall (A)

But, nothing is set in stone regarding the Frenchman’s lineups until a teamsheet is revealed – and with three games giving him plenty of time to think – he could finally unleash this summer signing whilst Bellingham is suspended.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

The player who could solve Bellingham issue

Milan Aleksic is yet to grace a pitch for his new English employers after sealing a move to Wearside right at the end of the transfer window, despite costing the Black Cats a bumper £3m to get in through the door.

The Mackems boss has opened up about a tricky language barrier stopping Aleksic from being launched into action in the Championship, but his time will surely come soon, with Bellingham out of action on the sidelines giving the exciting 19-year-old a potential fast-tracked opportunity to impress.

Aleksic had starred in his native Serbia for Radnicki 123 before Sunderland swooped in, firing home six goals and picking up ten assists from the midfield positions across 36 games, with social media account Serbian Football Scout waxing lyrical about the new Black Cats signing’s “deadly” final ball when his move was unveiled.

Also previously on the books of FK Partizan at U19 and U17 level, where a further 14 goals and eight assists were tallied up, it’s clear that Aleksic possesses the same eye for goal and chance creation that Bellingham has which saw the 19-year-old score seven times last campaign in his first full senior season at the Stadium of Light.

With Sunderland also gaining a reputation for being a club that gives youngsters time to blossom into top talents – 17-year-old Chris Rigg being front and centre of many lineups – Aleksic could be the next rising star at the club if given a chance.

The Black Cats boss could well view now as the best possible time to experiment with the complexion of his midfield, with the promising Serbian starlet being thrown into the deep-end potentially going down as an inspired alteration.

Sunderland struck gold selling £8m ace who's now worth millions less

Sunderland will now feel they made the right decision shifting on this star.

ByKelan Sarson Nov 4, 2024

Liam Roberts slammed online trolls after receiving "abusive messages" as the Millwall goalkeeper in the wake of his challenge on Jean-Philippe Mateta.

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Goalkeeper sent off for a horror challenge on MatetaHas been banned for six games for his rash actionHit out at abuse he has received onlineFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The 30-year-old shot-stopper was given his marching orders just eight minutes into the FA Cup match at Selhurst Park after a high challenge resulted in a serious injury to Mateta. While attempting to clear the ball, Roberts struck the French forward in the head, leading to a deep laceration on Mateta’s left ear that required 25 stitches.

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Initially, referee Michael Oliver did not take action on the challenge, allowing play to continue. However, following a review by VAR, the decision was overturned, and Roberts was shown a straight red card. The automatic consequence of his dismissal was a three-game suspension, but the Football Association (FA) determined that the punishment was not sufficient and appealed to a regulatory commission, which extended the ban to six matches. As a result, Roberts will be unavailable until April 8, when Millwall faces Sheffield United in the Championship.

WHAT ROBERTS SAID

Following the match, Roberts became the target of intense criticism on social media, with Millwall describing the messages as “disgusting”. The goalkeeper has now spoken out about the backlash, emphasising that he deeply regrets what happened but refuted any suggestion that his actions were deliberate.

“As the dust settles, I want to address what has been a really difficult week for all concerned, including my family and I," he wrote.

“Firstly, to Jean-Philippe, who I continue to send my best wishes to in his recovery. As soon as I could, I reached out to Jean-Philippe personally to apologise, and I was thankful to hear back from him that evening that he was OK and reassured me not to worry.

“I am devastated by what happened. I unequivocally accept the red card as awarded and accept my punishment. Furthermore, it has been extremely unpleasant to observe suggestions that I intended to harm a fellow professional. I have categorically never stepped onto a football pitch with the intention of hurting anyone.

“Misleading articles and comments have resulted in an unthinkable amount of abusive messages and threats towards my family and I. To the footballing community who know me and reached out with support through this tough time, thank you, I appreciate every single message. Finally, I want to say a huge thank you to everybody connected to Millwall Football Club for their continued support. The togetherness throughout this club is unique, and I can’t wait to be back out on the pitch in front of our fans."

AFPWHAT NEXT?

Mateta is expected to return to action after the international break. Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner confirmed that the 27-year-old striker, who is currently the club’s top scorer with 12 Premier League goals in 27 appearances, will travel to Spain for a training camp next week as part of his recovery. The Eagles will be without Mateta when they face Ipswich Town on Saturday in the Premier League.

Bracewell has five wickets from two Tests but has conceded an eye-watering 5.67 runs per over

Matt Roller26-Jun-2022It was an over which turned the series. England were 136 for 4 in pursuit of 279 at Lord’s when Kane Williamson threw the ball to Ajaz Patel for his second over, hoping to break a partnership worth 67 between Joe Root and Ben Stokes.Stokes had slog-swept Patel’s second ball of the match for six into the Grandstand and Williamson was clearly reluctant to bring him back on. But with Colin de Grandhomme off the field with an injury which would end his series, he had little choice: even with Stokes on strike, Patel was back in the firing line.Stokes lined Patel up, monstering him over midwicket twice more in the first four balls of the over. He was nearly bowled by the fifth, missing another slog-sweep to a ball which bounced just past the top of his off stump and past Tom Blundell’s gloves for four byes, but with figures of 2-0-22-0, Patel did not return to bowl again.This was the first clear sign of England’s ultra-positive approach with the bat. They had scored at 2.83 an over in their run chase up until the start of that over and went at 4.64 thereafter, liberated by Stokes’ decision to take down his match-up with the ball spinning into his arc.”He saw that match-up with the left-arm spinner… it was a really important over,” Root said. “With Colin going off injured it meant that they were going to have to keep bringing their seamers back, keep them tired.” Kyle Jamieson, who picked up much of the slack, suffered a stress reaction in the next Test which ruled him out of the series.Williamson’s faith in Patel evaporated. He had taken 10 wickets in an innings and 14 in the match in his most recent Test, and 4 for 59 in New Zealand’s win at Edgbaston last summer, but was deemed surplus to requirements on two good batting pitches at Trent Bridge and Headingley.His replacement, Michael Bracewell, has been eviscerated: he has taken five wickets in his two Tests but has conceded an eye-watering 5.67 runs per over. He has the highest economy rate by a New Zealand bowler in a series anywhere, by any bowler in a series in England and the third-highest by any bowler in any series (min. 40 overs bowled).He has been a strangely negative selection: a 31-year-old allrounder, picked primarily for his bowling despite a career record of 27 wickets at 47.51 in first-class cricket before this tour, having only switched to offspin in the 2019-20 season. According to ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball data, England have attacked 17.7% of the balls he has bowled, compared to an overall figure of 13.2% across the series: Bracewell’s team-mates call him ‘the Beast’ but he has been beasted on this tour.Related

Michael Bracewell turns on Beast mode to script Malahide miracle

New Zealand's Test superstars have started to fade

Kane Williamson at a crossroads as form slump mirrors New Zealand's decline

Ben Foakes withdrawn from Headingley Test after positive Covid-19 test

On Sunday, he removed Zak Crawley with his seventh ball, slapped straight to extra cover, but by the end of the day he had resorted to firing the ball down the leg side from around the wicket – and even then, Root swept him for consecutive fours. There were chances, with both Root and Ollie Pope edging past Daryl Mitchell at slip, but he conceded one boundary per over.”We’re backing him all the way,” Tom Blundell said in his defence, “but if you look at it, you’ve got two quality guys out there who play spin really well. If you look at the opportunities we created at times with Beast, if one of those goes to hand, it could be a different story.”Williamson was crying out for a bowler who could restrict England’s scoring but couldn’t find one. New Zealand packed their batting by picking Bracewell at No. 8 and effectively only fielded three frontline bowlers, two of whom have played all three games in this series and arrived straight from the IPL. His runs – 96 in four innings – have been handy, but nothing more.And so Bracewell had to plug away, finishing the day with 1 for 70 from his 11 overs on a pitch that had started to turn sharply. Jack Leach, his opposite number, bowled more than 70 overs, took the new ball in the second innings and took five wickets in each innings; Williamson posted a sweeper either side of square leg and watched Root nail the ball into the gap between them.Patel, meanwhile, looked on from the dressing room. Perhaps he would have suffered the same fate as Bracewell, but he was hardly given a chance. New Zealand will not play their next Test until the far side of the T20 World Cup by which time he will be a 34-year-old with only a dozen caps to his name.That his career record compares favourably to Leach’s is a reflection of the fact that New Zealand only pick him when conditions suit, but even on a dry, hard Leeds surface, he has had to carry the drinks. He must wonder how this series might have panned out if his penultimate ball of the tour had kissed the top of Stokes’ off stump, rather than bouncing over it.

A round-up of the reactions on Twitter to Dale Steyn reaching the milestone of 400 wickets

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Jul-2015Dale Steyn became the quickest – in terms of balls bowled – to take 400 Test wickets. Here’s how Twitter reacted to him reaching the milestone.Graeme Smith, his former captain, led with the tributes.

Celebrate @DaleSteyn62 he is 1 in a generation! Congrats bud,couldn't be more proud of you.had a lump in my throat bud. #400 #ProteaFire

— Graeme Smith (@GraemeSmith49) July 30, 2015

Many of his South Africa team-mates, past and present, joined in as well.

So proud of @DaleSteyn62! A real role model! As a cricketer, but as a person too! They breed them well in Phalaborwa! #humble#legend#400

— mark boucher (@markb46) July 30, 2015

Well done @DaleSteyn62 .400! You are a picture of athleticism, passion & consistency, an inspiration to our cricket generation. #OfficialCSA

— Morné van Wyk (@Morne_v_Wyk) July 30, 2015

#400 Congrats @DaleSteyn62 wow!! What a bowler! #1

— Alviro Petersen (@AlviroPetersen) July 30, 2015

Well done @DaleSteyn62. Proper achievement #400wickets!!! #insanewayne

— Albie Morkel (@albiemorkel) July 30, 2015

@DaleSteyn62 400 test wickets. Legendary.! Congrats brother. #400wickets

— David Miller (@DavidMillerSA12) July 30, 2015

Everyone has an opinion on this,but quite frankly, this guy is the best in the business. Congrats @DaleSteyn62 #400 pic.twitter.com/WnbLvPAaqK

— Ashwell Prince (@ashyp_5) July 30, 2015

Dale Steyn…400…nothing more to say! #hero

— Chris Morris (@Tipo_Morris) July 30, 2015

Praise came from cricketers from other parts of the world as well.

Who would you want in your side in all conditions? That's where Dale Steyn scores over the rest-No. 1 Test bowler in the world #400 #Respect

— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) July 30, 2015

Congrats @dalesteyn62 #400wickets #moretocome #legend #betterbloke https://t.co/tDf6aGrHue

— Darren Sammy (@darrensammy88) July 30, 2015

This debate will surely come up when Steyn hangs his boots.

Dale Steyn #GOAT

— Scott Styris (@scottbstyris) July 30, 2015

Some were pleased to have played a part in his career.

Congrats @DaleSteyn62 on your fantastic milestone of 400 test wkts.Honoured to have played a small part in ur career pic.twitter.com/FkoAoiKmXg

— Vincent Barnes (@VincentBarnes50) July 30, 2015

There was praise from a few who played before Steyn’s era.

@DaleSteyn62 – from a high school net session in Phalaborwa – to 400 Test wickets in Mirpur… CONGRATS Sunshine! #400wickets #BANvSA

— Dave Nosworthy (@DONCRICKET) July 30, 2015

Dale Steyn reaches 400 test wickets – Say no more

— Meyrick Pringle (@MeyrickPringle) July 30, 2015

There were accolades from sportsmen outside cricket as well.

Well done @DaleSteyn62 400th test wicket! #legend @OfficialCSA

— Joel Stransky (@stranners) July 30, 2015

And from politicians.

Congrats!@DaleSteyn62 for your outstanding monumental achievement keep winning.

— RSA Min of Sport (@MbalulaFikile) July 30, 2015

It was a day when a fellow fast bowler reached a milestone as well.

The two best fast bowlers of this generation reached landmarks today Dale Steyn 400w Mitchell Johnson 300w #Pace pic.twitter.com/qYGJf1v8FH

— Samuel Ferris (@samuelfez) July 30, 2015

Though, perhaps the sad truth is that more people reacted to his milestone on Twitter than at the ground.

Dale Steyn takes his 400th Test wicket in front of barely 500 people. He asks about the crowd in his celebrations.

— Mohammad Isam (@Isam84) July 30, 2015

A day in the field didn’t stop Faf du Plessis from praising his team-mate.

Sorry tweeps someone hacked my account !!! Hard graft today but good day for us.well done to @DaleSteyn62 on joining the 400 club #gunbowler

— Faf Du Plessis (@faf1307) July 30, 2015

5:48

Team-mates recall favourite Steyn wicket

Head coach Gary Stead is hopeful of the allrounder returning to action in the side’s second game of the tournament

Sruthi Ravindranath16-Oct-2022New Zealand head coach Gary Stead has said allrounder Daryl Mitchell, who sustained a fracture in his finger, is unlikely to be available for their T20 World Cup opener against Australia in Sydney on October 22. Stead, however, is hopeful that Mitchell will be available for their second match against Afghanistan.Mitchell had suffered a blow on the little finger of his right hand while batting in the nets ahead of the recently concluded T20I tri-series against Bangladesh and Pakistan at the Hagley Oval. He was subsequently ruled out of the series and his participation in the T20 World Cup was also in doubt at the time.Related

• Changing New Zealand come up against bogey team with form not on their side

• Unsung Bracewell keeps evolving to prove his value for New Zealand

• Conway: 'Having success in T20 leagues has given me the backing that I can perform in any environment'

• 'Incredible' Bracewell and 'super aggressive' Allen earn Williamson's praise

Mitchell’s unavailability for the opening match also means New Zealand will be without their first-choice XI, and the side will be taking a call on his replacement only after assessing the conditions in Sydney.”Daryl would have been in our first XI so I think in all likelihood he is unlikely to be available for that first game,” Stead said. “It is more likely the second game is what we are targeting at this stage. I think the one thing we’ve not done is gone to Sydney and had a look at the pitch, what the condition of the pitch is. It’s obviously the first game of the World Cup and the first match is being played at the SCG after the AFL season as well. We just have to look at the conditions, have a look at what’s put in front of us before we make some calls on that final XI. But in terms of the structure of the side, we have tried to keep it reasonably consistent throughout the tri-series as well.”Stead said that while New Zealand were mindful of the players’ workload considering they are coming into the World Cup immediately after the tri-series, all the players in the squad – except for Mitchell – will be given an opportunity to play in their upcoming warm-up matches against South Africa (on October 17) and India (October 19).”For us, it’s managing guys’ physical and mental state leading into this first game,” Stead said. We’ll use the two warm-up games in all likelihood to play all members of the squad. Except obviously Daryl right now. Just sharing a bit of the workload around and making sure guys are ready for that first game.”We’re still managing the workload of the players – there’s another two games in three days and with trainings around them as well coming off the back of the tri-series, there’s still a little bit of management of guys and making sure they’re physically just fine but more just that they need that freshness and readiness to go. It might sound strange but the five matches in seven days quite taxing and you put travel with it as well. We’ll certainly be taking this week just to manage the resources around.”There were a number of positives for New Zealand despite their loss in the tri-series final against Pakistan. Allrounder Michael Bracewell emerged as a matchwinner for them with the ball on multiple occasions, while opening batter Finn Allen displayed his aggression from the top of the order, striking at 145.16. Stead was also pleased to see captain Kane Williamson return to form with a 38-ball 58 in the final.”It’s great to see Kane back hitting the ball as he was,” Stead said. “He went out with great intent and showed that he can play those match innings that just change the game as well. I don’t think I put Kane necessarily in that sort of power sort of a category but I’ve said for a while you’ve got guys like Devon Conway who through batsmanship can actually generate strike rates and be as good as anyone in the world. He showed that last year and in the World T20 final and it was great to see him back.”Stead also indicated that Glenn Phillips, and not Allen, will be the back-up wicketkeeper to Conway at the moment.”I think tomorrow Glenn Phillips will probably take the gloves just for a short period of time,” Stead said. “Finn Allen’s another option for us. For the moment we just allow him to keep going with the bat the way he is. He is an outstanding fielder as is Glenn as well. That’s something we hope won’t happen obviously but if something happens to Devon, then we would fly a keeper-batsman over to fill that spot.”

Plus, Hillary-Norgay’s previously undocumented Everest cricketing duel

Andy Zaltzman17-Sep-2014The Confectionery Stall will be taking a sabbatical until December, whilst I am touring with my stand-up show (details at satiristforhire.com). England will also enjoy a couple of months off the cricketing treadmill. It is very rare these days that England play no cricket at all during a two-month stretch. The last time it happened was from November 2013 to January 2014, a period that unfortunately coincided with the Ashes.England’s hiatus will be followed by a bumper 2015 (and early 2016) which will feature 17 Tests in 10 months, bookended by a 50-over World Cup and a World T20. Amongst all this, there is a liberal sprinkling of assorted unforgettable ODIs and T20Is, plus a week-long team-bonding marathon playing the 1980s computer game on an old Commodore 64, a Broadway run of the new cricket musical , starring all centrally contracted players as themselves, a stint on the UN Security Council, and a series of 24 one-off triangular cricket-baseball-tennis hybrid matches against the New York Yankees and the women’s world No. 5 and former Wimbledon runner-up Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland, which will be played entirely via Skype.There are also plans for England to play a simultaneous Test match and five-game ODI series on adjoining pitches, against themselves, whilst the ECB is rumoured to be on the verge of announcing the installation of a new month – provisionally entitled Cooktember – to take place between January and February 2016, which will be used for rest, practice, promotional activities, welding Stuart Broad back together, reinstalling and re-sacking Kevin Pietersen in what will become a formal biennial ritual, and a supplementary bonus Ashes.No doubt, every single game in that period will be equally as special and memorable as the next, to both players and spectators alike, and no doubt the executives may well be giggling into their balance sheets. The golden goose, however, must be looking at its schedule, muttering to itself: “You want me to lay eggs? Ouch. Well, you’re the boss. Could you fetch me some Vaseline, please. I think I will need it.”Perhaps in time, 2014 will be seen to have laid the foundations for a new era of success after the seismic upheavals of the winter. It was a curious international summer, with two classic Test matches, at Headingley and Lord’s, both of which resulted in English defeats, one dull Test with a thrilling finale (the first against Sri Lanka), one dull Test without a thrilling finale (the first against India), and three absolute humiliations of MS Dhoni’s sappingly inept team, whose theoretically brilliant batting line-up explored every possible avenue of incompetence in a depressing masterclass of underachievement.From an English perspective, it began with fascinating failures and ended with rather uninteresting successes. All in all, it was a strangely unsatisfying summer, but one that held out promise of a genuine English resurgence. If Anderson and Broad stay fit. And Australia pick Pankaj Singh.

By the time Alastair Cook and Alex Salmond toss the coin at the Hagley Oval in five months’ time, Hadrian’s Wall may well have been completely rebuilt, and the Queen could be floating over the British Isles in a hot air balloon, desperately appealing for calm through the royal megaphone

England remained largely flaccid in ODIs, but given that they have not played a 50-over game with both Anderson and Broad in the team since the Champions Trophy final in June 2013, and only belatedly realised that it might be useful to have a few more players who can hit boundaries, their World Cup prospects cannot be completely written off. The World Cup, in its current format, is essentially a three-game shoot-out. In any shoot-out, of course, it helps to have arms and ammunition. England have generally focused too much on the bulletproof jackets. But if they take some reasonable selectorial risks, and hit form in the right week at the end of March, they have a chance. As indeed do the other seven regular quarter-finalists. Who mostly have more of a chance.I bid you farewell, then, at least until England’s ODI tour of Sri Lanka, scheduled to help them prepare for the dustbowl conditions they will no doubt encounter in Christchurch, New Zealand, on 23 February, when they will be involved in what may be one of the most politically incendiary World Cup fixtures ever played. Depending on the result of Thursday’s Independence Referendum in Scotland. By the time Alastair Cook and Alex Salmond toss the coin at the Hagley Oval in five months’ time, Hadrian’s Wall may well have been completely rebuilt, and the Queen could be floating over the British Isles in a hot air balloon, desperately appealing for calm through the royal megaphone.A Scottish victory in that game is about the only concession that David Cameron has not offered the Scots in his desperate attempts to stop the UK falling to pieces. Whatever else happens to England in their insanely overfull 2015, they simply must win that match. We must remain Great Britain’s undisputed No. 1 cricketing nation, or we will truly have nothing left.* With all due respect to the Champions Trophy, the most significant match taking place in the next few weeks is, without question, the charity game atop Mount Kilimanjaro, the celebrity 5895-metre-high Tanzanian retired volcano. The altitudinous showdown was organised by David Harper, who is raising money for cancer research, Tusk, and the Rwanda Cricket Stadium Foundation, and features, amongst others, Makhaya Ntini, Heather Knight, Ashley Giles and Clare Connor. It is set to claim the record for the highest-ever game of competitive cricket.Whilst I applaud the charitable fund-raising efforts and the mountaineering valour of those involved – full details and a link to the donations page are here – I have my doubts that this will, in fact, be the highest altitude at which competitive cricket has been played. It simply beggars belief that Edmund Hillary – a New Zealander, after all – did not challenge Tenzing Norgay to a game of cricket when they became the first people ever to teach Mount Everest who was boss, back in 1953.Recent expeditions would almost certainly have discovered a bowler’s marker near the summit, had they bothered to look for it, whilst satellite imagery could probably reveal what look like three stump holes right on the peak of the world’s tallest mountain, if you look at it from the right angle. Furthermore, there is incontrovertible photographic evidence of the tea interval.Admittedly, it is unlikely that the game lasted very long, or offered much in the way of entertainment for the neutral. Norgay would have struggled with his run-up when charging up the slope from the South Col End, and Hillary would probably have been surprised by the pace of the ball through the thin air at 8848 metres above sea level, come down late on it, and edged it through the understandably vacant slip cordon.As the ball scuttled away across Everest’s notoriously slopey outfield, which makes Lord’s look like a paragon of flatness, the two men would probably have decided to call it an honourable draw, before heading back to base camp in their sponsored caps for the post-match press conference.Good luck to David and the teams. My prediction: a negative draw. No one is going to want to traipse all the way to the top of Africa’s highest mountain and lose. You can follow their progress on the website, and via Twitter at @kilimadness.

It’s been an interesting start to the Premier League season for Everton this year.

Sean Dyche’s side have picked up nine points in as many games, and while there have been some woeful collapses along the way, things are starting to look up, as demonstrated by last night’s hard-fought draw.

The Toffees were not anywhere near their best and, on another day, may well have lost, but as Dyche sides have so often in the past, they just about stayed in the contest and got their rewards with a late equaliser.

They’re not going to fire the Merseysiders to a European place or anything like that, but the club’s attackers are more than good enough to keep them out of a drawn-out relegation scrap, and as last night showed, they may now have their own Jhon Duran-esque secret weapon.

Everton's most important attackers

Okay, so before we get to this new secret weapon, let’s look at a couple of Everton’s most important attackers, starting with the incredible Dwight McNeil.

It’s been an interesting couple of years for the 24-year-old following his £20m move from Burnley, as in his first two campaigns with the club, he could only muster up a mediocre return of ten goals and ten assists in 80 games, equating to an average of a goal involvement once every four games.

However, this season has seen the Rochdale-born dynamo explode, and in his 11 appearances so far, he’s scored four goals and provided three assists, meaning his average has shot up to a goal involvement every 1.57 games, and making his injury-induced-substitution against the Cottagers particularly worrying.

Now, when it comes to the club’s second most important attacker at present, there are two players fans might put forward: Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Illiman Ndiaye. So far, the former has scored two goals and provided one assist in nine centre-forward appearances, totalling 767 minutes, while the latter has scored three goals in 11 appearances, mainly off the left, totalling 825 minutes.

So, when it comes to picking between the pair, the Englishman has a slightly better return of a goal involvement every 255 minutes to the Frenchman’s average of one every 275 minutes, but has so from an area that should see him in more positions to score and assist goals.

Either way, both Calvert-Lewin and Ndiaye are undeniably crucial to Dyche’s starting lineup, and now it looks like one of their fellow attackers could have a vital role to play off the bench, akin to Aston Villa’s Duran.

Why Beto could become Everton's Duran

Yes, the attacker we are talking about is none other than last summer’s £30m man Beto, and no, before the pitchforks come out, we are not trying to say that the Portuguese ace is as good, nor as promising as Duran, that would be ever so slightly reactionary.

Instead, we are merely suggesting that, based on how he has been used by Dyche, the manager’s preference to start Calvert-Lewin ahead of him, and the impact he had last night, he could be used similarly to the Villa ace as a super-sub.

Now, while the Colombian international has been rightfully grabbing headlines all season for his brilliant displays, most of them have come off the bench, and with Ollie Watkins leading the line, it’ll likely stay that way.

For example, of his 13 appearances for Unai Emery’s side, only two have been starts, and of the seven goals he has scored, only two have come in games he’s started, highlighting that his biggest strength at the moment is being an impact player.

This same tactic could be Beto’s route back into the team as well, as despite coming on for just nine minutes against Fulham, he was the one to head home the equaliser, and given the “powerful” striker’s 6 foot 4 height, as dubbed by Dyche, he could develop into a mightily effective impact player.

The manager could turn to him in moments like last night to come on and use his physical presence to disrupt opposing defenders, and even if he’ll likely never prove as prolific as Duran, he could become a go-to option off the bench for Dyche, just like the Colombian is for Emery.

Dyche must finally drop Everton ace with fewer touches than Pickford

Dyche must finally drop Everton forward with fewer touches than Pickford

By
Dan Emery

Oct 27, 2024

The relationship between Phil Parkinson and Paul Mullin is 'not right' after a 'crazy' omission of the striker, according to a former Wrexham star.

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• Mullin hasn't featured since January
• Can't even make the bench
• Former star claims it's 'crazy'

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Club hero Mullin has not featured for the Red Dragons since January 28, not even making the bench for five consecutive matches. The striker has scored 110 goals in 171 matches for the club on their rise from non-league to League One, and former midfielder Waynne Phillips is not impressed by Parkinson's decision to repeatedly leave him out.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Wrexham signed two strikers in January as they attempt to hunt down Wycombe and win automatic promotion from League One this season. Jay Rodriguez arrived from Burnley and Sam Smith came in from Reading, while Steven Fletcher and Jack Marriott are being preferred to Mullin on the substitutes' bench.

• WHAT PHILLIPS SAID

  Phillips, who played for Wrexham in two spells between 1989-98 and 1999-2003, said: "For me there's something not right – to not have Paul Mullin in and around the squad seems a little bit crazy. But Phil Parkinson is the manager. He has done particularly well for Wrexham over the last two or three seasons and you have to accept that he is the man who picks the side."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

  Mullin has been Wrexham's superhero under the ownership of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney but it appears they are aiming to win promotion without him. Parkinson's side head to Mansfield on Saturday sitting five points behind Wycombe, with leaders Birmingham likely uncatchable.

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da blaze casino： Pressionado na luta contra o rebaixamento, o Coritiba volta a campo neste meio de semana e visita o Corinthians, na Neo Química Arena.

– VEJA A TABELA DO BRASILEIRÃO

Uma posição acima da zona de descenso, o time de Gustavo Morínigo precisa de um ótimo resultado para acalmar as cobranças.

No último treino antes de encarar o Alvinegro, o treinador esboçou a equipe que vai a campo nesta quarta-feira.

A principal novidade é o zagueiro Henrique. Suspenso diante do Flamengo, o jogador volta ao miolo de zaga contra o ex-time.

Por outro lado, Matheus Alexandre recebeu o terceiro cartão amarelo e com isso está automaticamente fora do jogo contra o Corinthians.

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Arsenal have come a long way in the last few years.

Mikel Arteta took over a club bereft of confidence and turned them into genuine title contenders thanks to his tactical ideas and the talented players he helped sign.

However, it would be fair to say that at the moment, the Gunners are struggling to find their footing in the Premier League, with pointless suspensions, a swathe of injuries and lacklustre performances seeing them fall nine points behind league leaders Liverpool despite it only being mid-November.

There are a few issues with the team at the moment, but there is one big one that might’ve been solved, or at least lessened, had the club not sanctioned Unai Emery to sell an academy gem in 2019, a gem who’s now outperforming Cole Palmer and Mohamed Salah in one key metric.

Arsenal's 2019 summer departures

So, before we get to the player in question, let’s look at another player who left Arsenal that summer, Danny Welbeck.

The former Manchester United star, who joined the Gunners for £16m in September 2014, wasn’t sold by the North Londoners; instead, he left upon the expiration of his contract in June before joining Watford on a free two months later.

However, the 42-capped international would struggle in Hampshire, and after scoring just three goals in 20 appearances, his contract was terminated just over a year after he joined, which, in retrospect, may well have been the best thing that could have happened to him.

The former United ace signed a one-year deal with Brighton & Hove Albion just a couple of weeks after leaving the Hawthorns, and he’s been there ever since, proving the adage that form is temporary, but class is permanent.

In his 138 appearances for the Seagulls so far, the 33-year-old veteran has scored 32 goals and provided ten assists, equating to an average of a goal involvement every 3.28 games.

However, while we’re sure Arteta would appreciate having such an experienced forward in the squad at the moment, he’s not the former Arsenal player in question.

The former Arsenal star beating Palmer and Salah

Let’s get right to the point, then. The former Arsenal player who sold in 2019 and is currently beating Salah and Palmer in a crucial metric this season is Alex Iwobi.

Yes, the Nigerian international who was sold to Everton for £35m five years ago and then moved to Fulham four years later is the player in question, and the metric in question is passes into the penalty area.

In fact, according to FBref, the Hale End graduate’s 31 passes into the opposition’s penalty area this season is not only the most in the entire Premier League but the most in Europe’s top five leagues, with Lamine Yamal coming in as a close second with 30 passes.

1

Iwobi

Fulham

31

2

Yamal

Barcelona

30

3

Ito

Reims

29

=

Wirtz

Leverkusen

29

5

Schmid

Bremen

28

In comparison, Liverpool’s Egyptian king has played just 21 such passes, while Chelsea’s young superstar has played 19.

The Fulham maestro’s ability to thread the ball into dangerous areas for his teammates to exploit has earned him two assists in just 11 league games this season.

However, according to FBref, his playmaking and passing ability have seen him produce an expected assists figure of 3.2 so far.

In contrast, the highest-ranking Arsenal player for passes into the penalty area is, unsurprisingly, Bukayo Saka, although he only has 16 to his name and following him is Thomas Partey with 13 and Gabriel Martinelli with a measly ten.

Moreover, the Gunners’ mercurial number seven is their only player to produce more assists in the league this season than the Cottagers’ dynamic winger, which would explain the North Londoners’ underwhelming attack so far this year.

Ultimately, while Arsenal got a reasonable fee for Iwobi five years ago, it’s clear that they could use his newfound creativity outwide, and while he wouldn’t necessarily be a starter, we’re sure Arteta wishes Emery hadn’t sold him when he did.

He's like Mbappe & Haaland: Arsenal want to sign £54m Havertz replacement

The sensational striker would surely fire Arsenal back into title contention.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 19, 2024