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Potentially welcoming more star power, Aston Villa have reportedly opened talks with a Paris Saint-Germain player who desperately needs to rediscover his most scintillating form.

Aston Villa transfer news

The Villans currently sit ninth in the Premier League as they prepare to commence a new year under Unai Emery and one that they will once again hope to end in the Champions League. Given their current struggle for consistency, however, they may well need to return to the transfer market if they want to make a return to Europe’s biggest stage for a second season running.

On that front, it’s Donyell Malen who has been threatening to steal the headlines more than others. Reports have even gone as far to suggest that Aston Villa have already sent an offer Borussia Dortmund’s way with negotiations ongoing and the German giants ready to show their winger the door in 2025.

It seems as though attacking reinforcements have become the priority at Villa Park this month in an attempt to share the goals around rather than relying on Ollie Watkins and Jhon Duran to seal the points. And that means Malen isn’t the only one to have seemingly caught the Villans’ eye.

According to Caught Offside, Aston Villa are now in talks with Marco Asensio over a January move away from Paris Saint-Germain. The former Real Madrid star has struggled for game time in the current campaign and is now willing to complete a departure away from the Ligue 1 giants this month.

Emery could sign "incredible" £41m Pau Torres upgrade for Aston Villa

Aston Villa could do with some additional reinforcements at the back this January.

By
Kelan Sarson

Jan 2, 2025

Whilst Aston Villa would prefer a loan move, PSG are reportedly looking for between €25m-€30m (£21m-£25m) to part ways with their midfielder at the halfway mark.

With the likes of Morgan Rogers, Ross Barkley and the returning Emiliano Buendia already providing enough depth in Asensio’s role, it remains to be seen whether they’ll be willing to splash out to secure the Spaniard’s signature.

"Great" Asensio needs January move

In danger of becoming a forgotten star after rising to stardom at Real Madrid and earning a move to PSG, Asensio should be desperate to steal the headlines once again and complete a January switch to Aston Villa. Only rare cases have struggled to impress Emery and only few have not gone on to make an impressive impact at Villa Park. Now, Asensio could become the next to benefit.

Despite his current struggles under Luis Enrique, the right-winger did once find himself at the centre of the manager’s praise during his time in charge of Spain’s national team.

Enrique told reporters, via Madrid Universal, in 2022: “We’ve worked with him on the things we wanted him to improve and he has done just that. When he plays as a ‘9’ he initiates the pressure and that requires effort and great responsibility.

“It’s a pleasure to see how our six forwards press, they give us guarantees. Marco is a guarantee and he’s in great form for the World Cup.”

Enduring three starts in Ligue 1 under the Spaniard at PSG just three years later, Asensio is no longer a player at the centre of Enrique’s thoughts and must move on in 2025.

Mark Footitt is eager for an opportunity at Centurion, knowing that chances of a Test debut do not come along all that often when you have had your 30th birthday

George Dobell20-Jan-2016Had a stranger wandered into England’s net session in Centurion on Wednesday, they could have been forgiven for concluding that Mark Footitt was the outstanding bowler in the squad.Footitt, bowling with pace and skill, made life torrid for all the batsmen. Jonny Bairstow, arguably England’s man of the series, was twice drawn into edges, while James Taylor was beaten like a snare drum. The rest of the bowlers, despite habitually overstepping – a habit that might be best stamped out, even in such sessions – were unable to match his hostility.But you have to be careful with training sessions. While the more established bowlers know not to expend their energy two days before a game, those on the periphery know that is a rare chance to impress. And Footitt knows that, with Steven Finn unavailable due to injury, he is rivalling Chris Jordan and Chris Woakes for a call up. He must fear that the Test in Pretoria might offer a last chance for him.Footitt is a fine bowler. Since the start of the 2014 season, he has claimed 162 first-class wickets at an average of 21.46. While the vast majority of those have been taken in Division Two of the County Championship, where the standards of batting and pitches is not the highest, they are still impressive figures.With his left-arm pace, his new-found control and an ability, at his best, to shape the ball back into the right hander, he has developed into a dangerous, consistent bowler. Graeme Welch, the Derbyshire coach who had notable success with Keith Barker, Chris Wright and Rikki Clarke while bowling coach at Warwickshire, deserves some of the credit.Footitt was a little wayward in the warm-up matches. But some nerves were understandable and he has now had a couple of months in which to settle into the England environment. Moeen Ali would doubtless appreciate the footmarks he would cultivate if he played, too, while the variety would give the attack a fresh look.But Footitt is 30 years old and has recently moved from Derbyshire to Surrey. He will find the pay outstanding at The Oval but the pitches heartbreaking. Just ask Stuart Meaker or Chris Tremlett. With younger men – the Currans, the Overtons, David Willey, Reece Topley et al – breaking through and a winter in Asia beckoning at the end of 2016, it is hard to see where future opportunities may lie.England’s recent history would suggest that Woakes is the likely beneficiary of Finn’s injury. Quite rightly, he is highly thought of within the management team and bowled well without reward in Durban. He is the more likely to retain control – his career economy-rate is 3.05 compared to Footitt’s 3.50 – and his first-class record – 358 wickets at an average of 25.42 – has generally been earned in Division One of the County Championship. He has the ability to move the ball both ways in the right conditions and is a good enough batsman to have made eight first-class centuries: he made his Test debut at No. 6.The management of this team is relatively new, however, and may not judge “bowling dry” quite as importantly as previous regimes. And with Moeen Ali at No. 8, the batting of the third seamer should not be a priority.To the naked eye, Footitt looks the quicker bowler. But perhaps that is just due to the tangle of arms and legs you see just before he delivers. Hawkeye would suggest that Woakes, measured as the fastest bowler on either side during the Durban Test, is every bit as quick.But batsmen do tend to say that Woakes, with his smooth, straight action, is easier to pick-up than some, even if he has started to hide the ball in his run-up in the manner of James Anderson or, before him Zaheer Khan. He seems relatively unloved on social media but very highly rated by his fellow professionals.Chris Woakes bowled well without luck in Durban•Getty ImagesYou could make an argument that Footitt is a more convincing like-for-like replacement for Finn. It is true that both are aggressive bowlers who are liable to concede a few more runs than the dependable Woakes, who might be seen as a more like-for-like replacement for Anderson. But Woakes, effectively the man in possession after playing in Durban, is the one seen as having a future at this level. It would be a surprise if he did not play.There is another option, but it is an unlikely one. England could leave out James Anderson – not ‘drop,’ just leave out in the knowledge that the series is won and they need to keep an eye on the future – and play both Woakes and Footitt. Given Anderson’s workload following this game, however – he will not bowl again in anger until April at least – and his admirable desire to represent England on every possible occasion, it seems almost unthinkable that he will be asked to sit this one out.One man that Footitt did not beat in the nets was Nick Compton. Compton admitted that he had been perturbed enough by Trevor Bayliss’ comments following the first Test – comments which suggested that he would, in an ideal world, prefer a more free-scoring batsman at No. 3 than Compton – to seek clarification from his coach. Upon reflection, and after a couple of odd innings, it seems Compton will be content to revert to the sheet anchor role.”I had a chat with Trevor about it, but there was no inference that was the way he wanted me to play,” Compton said. “He just wanted to make it clear that’s in an ideal world. But I’ve been selected for the reasons that I do what I do and he’s been very clear about me doing that role as well as I can.”It would nice to whack it like David Warner or de Villiers. Wouldn’t we all like to do things differently and better? But having done a bit of that as a youngster and tried different things, I’m settled on what I do.”There’s probably been times when I’ve been frustrated at how I’ve got out, I have perhaps got just a little bit ahead of myself and chased one too many balls.”I’m proud of what I do and I feel strongly that I have qualities and attributes that yes, might not be as glamorous as others at this time and place in life, but still have a big part to play. We know big hundreds and batting for long periods of time is what’s important in Test match cricket.”We know the new ball is a tough place to bat but, if I can get in and stay in, then I’m doing a good job for the guys. From a personal position, hopefully you get in and you cash in.”Compton, at least, is all but certain to win another chance to show what he can contribute at this level. It is an opportunity Mark Footitt might never have.

Top La Liga and Premier League clubs will be eligible to trigger a special release clause in Borussia Dortmund star Serhou Guirassy's contract.

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Top clubs could trigger a special release clauseWill be active after Club World CupGuirassy committed to Borussia DortmundFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Per in Germany, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Premier League clubs like Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal will be able to trigger a release clause in Guirassy's contract after the Club World Cup this summer.

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However, the report claims that Guirassy does not plan on leaving the Bundesliga side as he feels at home at Dortmund and is grateful to the club for signing him last summer despite his knee injury. Following his stunning record at Stuttgart, they made him one of the top earners when they lured him from their domestic rivals.

DID YOU KNOW?

That does not mean he is certain to stay, though, as the report adds he could consider changing his mind is if Dortmund miss out on any kind of European football. Niko Kovac's side are currently seventh in the Bundesliga table with 45 points from 30 matches.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR BORUSSIA DORTMUND?

The German giants will be back in action in the Bundesliga on Saturday as they take on Hoffenheim in a crucial away fixture.

That’s two successive Premier League draws for title-chasing Liverpool, and though it can feel frustrating to have ceded ground once again, it was an electrifying contest between the top-placed sides.

Liverpool still have a sizeable lead at the top of the table. Second-placed Nottingham Forest stay six points behind and while Arsenal, one point further behind, host Tottenham this evening, they have played an extra game.

Arne Slot’s second-half changes proved to ignite a ferocious Reds comeback save for Matz Sels’ incredible preventive display between the sticks.

The Tricky Trees goalkeeper was a redoubtable wall in front of goal, with broadcaster Jamie Martin even hailing him as “the best goalkeeper in the league” after five spectacular stops.

That said, it was a pretty dismal display as far as Mohamed Salah was concerned, especially when considering his outrageous standards.

Mohamed Salah's performance vs Forest

Salah was silenced by Nottingham Forest for the second time this season. The Egypt star has only failed to register a goal contribution in three Premier League matches this year, with two coming against Nuno Espirito Santo’s resilient side.

Liverpool toiled through the first half without threatening the City Ground’s goalmouth, skewing a series of shots wide. Salah was culpable throughout, forcing Sels into two expert saves but also wasteful with a host more.

Moreover, the 32-year-old lost each of his eight contested ground duels while also failing with all four of his dribble attempts. He’ll see better games ahead, but Salah will want to bury this one swiftly.

Minutes played

90′

Goals

0

Assists

0

Touches

61

Shots (on target)

6 (2)

Pass completion

27/36 (75%)

Key passes

4

Dribbles (completed)

4 (0)

Ground duels (won)

8 (0)

The same could be applied to Andy Robertson’s performance, although the Scotland left-back has flattered to deceive all term and might need to be dropped going forward.

The Liverpool star who was worse than Salah

Robertson has been a faithful servant for Liverpool over the most illustrious period in Anfield’s modern history, but every dog has his day and this one appears to have run his energy tank into the ground, with the Scotsman’s 323rd Reds appearance one to be forgotten.

As per Sofascore, Robertson only won a single duel all match, not even attempting a dribble as his developing weaknesses were brutally exposed by a Forest side riding the crest of a wave under Nuno.

Liverpool World could only give the veteran a 4/10 match score as he failed to inspire confidence – for Slot’s side anyway, for Antony Elanga seemed to fancy his chances with each exchange.

The 30-year-old’s struggle was perfectly illustrated by Slot’s decision to withdraw him after just 65 minutes, recognising the difficulty he was having.

Kostas Tsimikas’ instant impact with a corner-swept assist for Diogo Jota to restore parity will have given the Dutch tactician food for thought, to be sure. Chatter has simmered away around the need to replace Robertson this season, and this might just have been the final nail in the coffin with the January market in swing.

It’s harsh and poignant to watch Robertson, one of Liverpool’s greatest left-backs, struggle to scrape the vestiges of his one-time quality together, and Slot must surely propose a winter transfer to FSG now.

Too much hinges on the next few months. Liverpool are still in the driving seat, but it’s clear that Robertson could hinder the title charge on more than a few occasions, and he needs to be replaced.

Huge Nunez upgrade: Liverpool eyeing "one of the best CFs in the world"

Liverpool are ready to hijack a big rival in order to sign this Darwin Nunez upgrade.

1 ByAngus Sinclair Jan 14, 2025

Lancashire allrounder gets nod above Will Jacks, Ben Duckett confirmed as opener for first Test

Vithushan Ehantharajah29-Nov-20221:56

Why Livingstone could play ahead of Jacks vs Pakistan

Liam Livingstone will make his England Test debut against Pakistan in Rawalpindi on Thursday.Livingstone, 29, will be one of two new faces named by skipper Ben Stokes for the first Test from the team that ended the English summer. Ben Duckett will partner Zak Crawley at the top of the order, replacing Alex Lees who was dropped for this tour, adding to his four Test appearances from 2016-17, against Bangladesh and India. Yorkshire batter Harry Brook keeps his spot at No. 5, having replaced the injured Jonny Bairstow at the Kia Oval in the final match of the South Africa series.Livingstone, picked on this tour for his capabilities as a spinner along with his ball-striking which has made him a go-to signing on the Twenty20 circuit, last played a competitive red-ball match at the end of the 2021 summer for Lancashire. Both of his first-class averages are in the high 30s: 38.36 with the bat and 36.13 with the ball.Related

England in Pakistan: A history of controversy

Ben Duckett: 'There's no better time to play Test cricket than under Stokes and McCullum'

Pope to captain England in warm-up as Ben Stokes sits out

Archer makes encouraging return to England colours after long injury lay-off

His selection in the XI is ultimately for his potential, bombastic upside. As head coach Brendon McCullum put it on Monday: “He bowls offspin, legspin, fields well and smacks the ball out of the park – it’s hard not to get around a player who plays like that.” Ultimately, the call was between him and Surrey’s batting allrounder Will Jacks, who bowls offspin. Livingstone got the nod on account of offering both wrist and finger spin.”The only real discussion we thought was worth having was whether we go with Jacksy or Livi,” Stokes said. “I think given the place where Livi’s going to play and as that third spinner role, it’s quite nice to have someone who turns it both ways. And quite nice the way he applies himself with the bat – very similar to Jacksy, but having that legspin and offspin possibility with Livi was a big plus for us.”Stokes referring to Livingstone as a “third spinner” is down to wanting to utilise Joe Root’s offspin alongside the left-arm orthodox of Jack Leach, who is regarded as the frontline spinner. Livingstone will supplement both.ESPNcricinfo Ltd”With Livi he’s one of those cricketers who can come on from anywhere and take a wicket when the ball’s flowing a bit the opposition’s way. I’ve already spoken to Rooty as well. I’m going to try to use him quite a lot. I think he underuses himself. He’s actually got some very good assets as an offspin bowler. He’s been working very hard on his bowling.”The presentation of a maiden Test cap this week will round off a special month or so for Livingstone, who was part of England’s successful T20 World Cup campaign in Australia. As a verified specialist in the shortest format, notably from an English perspective when he carried the first edition of the Hundred in 2021, it perhaps bodes well that someone like him would relish the chance to play the longest format.Stokes revealed he spoke to Livingstone about the prospect of playing a part in these Test matches a couple of months ago. The response he got back was encouraging. His lack of first-class action has featured less as a worry and more as a punchline over the last fortnight. Stokes joked that Livingstone “will probably try to hit a few over this media centre, no doubt”.”It was a pretty simple conversation I had with him, actually before we went out to Australia for the World Cup. I obviously told him where we stood in terms of him playing some red-ball cricket out in the subcontinent.”With the skill he has with the ball and the way he plays with the bat, [he] is very aligned with how me and Baz want to see the team play. He jumped at the opportunity. I don’t necessarily think that not playing a red-ball game is going to be too much of a thing for him. He’s a very natural cricketer, he’s going to go out there and really express himself. So yeah looking forward to seeing him in the whites. He did say when he got his white pads out of the bag ‘what are these?'”Duckett, while also selected on style of play, has earned a recall on an impressive showing last season with Nottinghamshire. He struck 1012 runs at an average of 72.28, at a rate of 76.09 – that last figure as much a pro for this management group as the three centuries. He underlined his expansive play in the T20 series in Pakistan a few months ago with 233 runs at 46.60 (strike rate 159.58), which gave Stokes in particular a nudge he was the man for the job ahead of the other opener in the squad, Keaton Jennings.Liam Livingstone has been picked in England’s Test XI for Rawalpindi•Getty Images”Ducky showed out here in the T20s just how good he is against spin bowling,” Stokes said. “To have someone at the top like him who can mess around with the fields and make it a captain’s nightmare because he sweeps both ways, and we know how much of a part spin plays out in this area. Excited to have him at the top.”Brook’s selection, meanwhile, is a continuation from the summer in which he carried drinks before making his bow in the format in the final South Africa Test. He scored 12 in his only innings of that match but comes off the back of a stellar season with Yorkshire: a monster average of 107.44, with three hundreds – including a career best 194 against Kent – and a final tally of 967 from just eight matches.”The way in which Harry’s gone about his first-class cricket over the last year, we won’t see much difference out here in the subcontinent,” Stokes said. “Another one who’s a perfect like for like in the way they play for Jonny. He [Bairstow] is a big miss in this Test team out here, but very blessed to have someone like Brooky to replace him.”Stokes also discussed the importance of approaching this tour of Pakistan with an understanding life is more important than cricket. On Monday, the England captained revealed he would be dominating his match fees, understood to be approximately £50,000 (US$60,000) for this tour to the Pakistan flood appeal.”Coming here is a monumental time for English cricket and for Pakistan as a nation. There are bigger things to life than cricket. The floods were devastating to the country, and me coming out here and representing my country, bringing the sport back to the nation. There are things that go on in life that are bigger than sport and I felt compelled just to give something that is bigger than cricket.”Donations to the appeal can be made via the Disasters Emergency Committee.

MatériaMais Notícias

da dobrowin： A polêmica entre Jorge Braga e Botafogo vem agitando as redes sociais nesta sexta-feira. Após manifestações de ambas as partes, os advogados do empresário decidiram se posicionar sobre o caso.

A defesa do ex-CEO do Glorioso afirmou, entre outras coisas, que Jorge Braga contornou à invasão de torcedores ao CT Lonier mesmo internado.

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da fezbet： +Tem novidades! Veja a convocação da Seleção Brasileira para os amistosos contra Gana e Tunísia

CONFIRA O POSICIONAMENTO DA ASSESSORIA DE JORGE BRAGA

“A respeito da saída do profissional Jorge Braga do cargo de CEO da Botafogo SAF, o advogado Rodrigo Cotta, sócio do escritório de advocacia Salomão, Kaiuca, Abrahão, Raposo e Cotta associados tem o seguinte a esclarecer:

6) Por fim, o profissional reitera seu respeito aos botafoguenses e à instituição Botafogo, sentimentos que não foram diminuídos em nada apesar das inúmeras atitudes de menosprezo de John Textor, cujo temperamento e falta de respeito a obrigações por ele pessoalmente assumidas põem em risco o futuro da SAF pela qual
Braga tanto trabalhou”.

+Botafogo publica nota oficial e critica saída do CEO Jorge Braga

Jorge Braga chegou ao Botafogo em março do ano passado e vinha participando ativamente do processo de reestruturação do clube. Os desgastes dos últimos meses fizeram com que o empresário deixasse o cargo de CEO e entrasse com uma ação contra a SAF. A novela entre Jorge Braga e Botafogo promete ganhar novos capítulos nos próximos dias.

Gerard Pique was "brought to tears" during his trial over alleged fraud and corruption regarding regarding the Supercopa de Espana deal.

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• Pique's role under scrutiny over Supercup tender
• Kosmos has allegedly taken commissions of €10m
• Ex-defender pleaded innocence in his statement

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The case revolves around Pique’s company, Kosmos, which played a central role in securing an agreement to relocate the tournament to Saudi Arabia in collaboration with the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF). The 37-year-old football icon has been accused of fraudulent business dealings and corruption, with authorities investigating whether he unfairly profited from the contract.

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• Getty Images
  

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  According to , Kosmos earned more than €10 million (£8m/$11m) in commissions through the agreement, with €1.6m of that sum being paid to Pique himself earlier this year. Also implicated in the case is former RFEF president Luis Rubiales, who faces additional accusations of money laundering. While under questioning, Pique strongly refuted any wrongdoing, insisting that his role as a Barcelona player at the time of the deal had no bearing on the financial compensation he received.

  However, according to Pique did acknowledge that he had personally reached out to Rubiales for assistance in securing his payment after Saudi Arabian authorities initially failed to transfer the agreed funds. In response to controversies surrounding player involvement in business ventures with the federation, the RFEF has since implemented regulations preventing active footballers from engaging in commercial agreements with the governing body.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  During his statement, Pique became visibly emotional, with reports stating that he was on the verge of tears while addressing the court. With a trembling voice, the former defender expressed the emotional toll the case has taken on him, stating that the legal battle had caused him "enormous damage" both personally and professionally. He maintained that he had negotiated the best possible contract for the RFEF and insisted that he did not deserve the negative consequences he was facing. In a particularly striking comment, Pique suggested that his contributions to football were being overlooked, saying, "In another country, I would have a statue."

• AFP
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  Documents further reveal that the agreement stipulated it was "essential" for the RFEF to guarantee an annual commission of €4m (£3m/$4m) – a clause that has raised legal concerns. Rubiales and former interim RFEF president Pedro Rocha are also set to provide their testimonies.

  As proceedings continue, Pique’s legal team will seek to clear his name, arguing that all transactions were conducted transparently and within legal frameworks. However, the court’s final ruling could have significant implications for both Pique and the RFEF, particularly in light of recent efforts to reform governance and financial oversight within Spanish football.

Coach pleased with “attacking mindset” after 8-0 sweep of ODI and T20I series in Caribbean

Alan Gardner23-Dec-2022Jon Lewis believes England’s clean sweep of their tour of the West Indies, on which they won eight internationals out of eight, showcased the team’s new “attacking mindset” – but said the real test would come when they are asked to stick to their approach in high-pressure moments, such as at the forthcoming Women’s T20 World Cup.Lewis, who took over as head coach last month, spoke before his first assignment about encouraging a more positive style of play, and was rewarded with a series of emphatic displays, as England won the ODI series 3-0 followed by a 5-0 result in the T20Is.They began with a bang, racking up 307 for 7 in the first ODI in Antigua, followed by scores of 260 and 256 – their three highest ODI totals in the Caribbean. They also made three of their four highest T20I scores in region, and finished the tour by dismissing West Indies for 43 – their lowest total in T20Is – on the way to an eight-wicket win completed inside the powerplay.Related

• Lewis: 'You don't coach gender, you coach people'

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“The thing I’ve been most pleased about is the way the girls have attacked their cricket and the mindset they’ve tried to adapt to,” Lewis said. “I’ve talked to a lot of them over the course of the tour and you can hear loud and clear the way they’re thinking and the way they’re trying to go about their business. That’s the most pleasing thing for me, the shift that they’ve made in terms of how they’ve tried to approach cricket, in terms of putting bowlers under pressure and taking wickets at every opportunity and also working really hard in the field.”I think regardless of the actual results in the games, the way that we’ve been able to attack our cricket and try and play the way that we want to play as a group has been really, really pleasing.”England were rarely pushed during the tour, with victories by 16 and 17 runs in the second and third T20Is respectively the closest West Indies came to halting their momentum, and Lewis was able to rotate his players in a bid to find out more about them just six weeks out from the World Cup.”Whilst the challenge of this tour hasn’t been as great as we would have probably liked, there’s still been some pressure moments in games where people stood up and took responsibility to do the job. There’s obviously greater challenges ahead of us. There’s some really good teams out there in women’s cricket. It’ll be exciting to see how they how they cope with those pressures.”I said I was more than happy to lose games on this tour as long as we shifted the way we wanted to play. And that’s the thing I’m most pleased about, the way that we’ve approached cricket, the attacking mindset they’ve taken into the games. I feel like it’s a real shift from what I’ve watched in the past and the times I think they’ve played safe. But there’s been a real shift in the in the group in the way they’re talking and the way they’re trying to grow their game.”With England expected to name their World Cup squad next month, there were impressive performances from the likes of Charlie Dean – whose 18 wickets across formats made her the most-successful bowled on tour – and Lauren Bell. Injuries to Alice Capsey and Freya Kemp were less welcome, but Lewis suggested that Capsey could still return from a broken collarbone in time to be selected.”I’m getting some really positive noises actually, which is a bit of a surprise to me once I’d heard what she’d done,” he said. “I didn’t realise that those injuries could heal as quickly as they can. So there’s some really positive noises coming out but she’s still got quite a way to go to make sure that she’s going to be fit and available for a World Cup. I think probably the hardest thing for her will be when she starts hitting the ground again, diving. So that’s probably just building her confidence in the work that’s been done on her collarbone. But as far as I know, from all the information I’ve got from the medical staff, she’s progressing really well.”As for England’s chances of pushing Australia, winners of the last three global limited-overs tournaments in women’s cricket, in South Africa in February, Lewis suggested that the group needed to stand up in “close moments” if they were going to achieve the success that has eluded them since the 2017 World Cup.”I would say that the biggest challenge ahead of us is maintaining our confidence and belief in the way we’re going to play,” he said. “So when the pressure ramps up, when you get bigger games, you are put under more pressure by the opposition – then the ability to hold on to the belief and trust that the way that we’re trying to play our cricket will work. So that’s I think our biggest challenge, but that will only come with time, and probably wins and losses. Just opportunities to put themselves under more pressure in moments and games, and show how talented they actually are.”It’s really it’s interesting to think about how to judge this tour. Did West Indies play like they did because of how we played or were West Indies in that position prior to the tour anyway. What part did we play on the way West Indies played? You would like to think the pressure that we put on them made them worse. This team’s done stuff in the West Indies that no other England team has done, broken a lot of records while they’ve been out here. There’s [been] contributions from individuals that they haven’t done before. So it’s whether or not we can we can just maintain that belief and confidence in in how we want to go about business.”

Nuno Espirito Santo was delighted after a hard fought 1-0 win for his Nottingham Forest side over Premier League champions Manchester City

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Forest four points clear of City in the tableHudson-Odoi's late winner the differencePep's men boss possession but can't convertFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Callum Hudson-Odoi's 83rd minute strike was enough to take all three points in a game which could have significant ramifications for Champion's League qualification. The game appeared destined to end in a stalemate until the winger neatly controlled a cross-field pass from Morgan Gibbs-White before cutting inside and beating Ederson at his near post.

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Third-placed Forest now sit four points ahead of City in fourth after Saturday's result. Chelsea can overtake the champions if they beat strugglers Leicester City on Sunday.

AFPWHAT NUNO ESPIRITO SANTO SAID

The Forest boss said: "It was a tough game, everybody saw how good Manchester City are, they had us on the ropes but the boys worked very hard. Of course they were going to have chances, but it was then about us taking ours.

"[Beating City] shows the progress but there is so much football still to be played. Let's focus on the journey and move on to the next one."

DID YOU KNOW?

City bossed possession but couldn't find the opening they desperately needed at the City Ground. Pep Guardiola's side enjoyed 69 per cent of the ball, and strung together 603 passes, more than doubling Forest's output of 262.

Chloe Kelly's reaction to being left out of the latest Lionesses' squad has been revealed ahead of a potential second Arsenal debut this weekend.

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Article continues below

Article continues below

• Kelly left out of England squad this week
• Reaction to news revealed by Arsenal boss Slegers
• Could make second Gunners debut at weekend

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Kelly hasn't played football since January 12, despite securing a loan move from Manchester City to Arsenal on deadline day of the January transfer window. That's because the Gunners' two games following the deal were both against City and their third was in the FA Cup, for which she is cup-tied. Those unfortunate circumstances ultimately cost Kelly earlier this week though, when she was left out of the England squad due to a lack of minutes.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  However, Kelly could finally return to action this weekend, with her eligible for Arsenal's Women's Super League clash with north London rivals Tottenham. She is familiar with the fixture, having scored in it as a teenager after breaking into the Gunners' first-team as a promising academy product, and could be about to grace it again – though head coach Renee Slegers was coy on what role the winger could play.

• WHAT SLEGERS SAID

  "She's settled very well and obviously she knows what Arsenal is, she comes from the club, so we're happy she's back," Slegers said in her pre-match press conference on Friday. "What she's bringing to us is obviously her qualities as an attacking player but what she's also shown is her willingness to defend and be aggressive and work hard, and I think she lifts our training environment as well. We're very happy with Chloe. We hope she's available for Sunday. We know what she can do for us. I look forward to her first minutes for Arsenal and we'll see when that is."

  Asked if her absence from the England squad could actually be beneficial, by allowing the 27-year-old that little extra time to settle in her new surroundings, Slegers said: "We want the best for Chloe. I've spoken to Chloe and she's said that she accepts situations as they are. She's just really happy she's with us at the moment and she wants to take every opportunity, wherever it is, in training or match environment, to try and push herself and find the next level and get her rhythm in playing minutes again."

• DID YOU KNOW?

  As for whether this loan spell can get Kelly back into the Lionesses' squad ahead of this summer's European Championship, Slegers was keen to point out that she "can't control" such a thing, but added: "Chloe's with us and we want to make her time at Arsenal the best. We want to support her and and drive her forwards. She's very keen to find her next level and get the rhythm of training and playing, so I think that's all we can focus on and that's what we do at Arsenal with her. Of course, players have ambitions to play on a high level for the club, but also for the national teams, but that's that's not something that's in my control. I'll do everything I can to help Chloe at Arsenal."