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Com seis pontos em seis rodadas, o Flamengo encara o Goiás, neste sábado, pressionado pela vitória. Para recuperar-se no Brasileirão, o Flamengo contará com o apoio da torcida no Maracanã, palco dos próximos três compromissos do Rubro-Negro no torneio. Na visão de Paulo Sousa, o “fator casa” colabora para tirar o melhor da equipe.

Paulo Sousa expõe Diego Alves: lembre episódios que sacudiram o Flamengo desde 2020

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– Fora de casa, somos pressionantes também. Na Libertadores ou no Brasileirão, com exceção de um ou outro jogo. Temos que melhorar em termos de mentalidade em alguns momentos, sem dúvida, para manter a intensidade. O Maracanã exige isso. Nos empurra, e nossos jogadores se sentem felizes com isso – afirmou o técnico Paulo Sousa.

A “exigência” do Maracanã pode corroborar o lado mental do time de Paulo Sousa. Ao longo desta temporada, o Flamengo acumula erros individuais em momentos decisivos de partidas. No Brasileirão, as falhas mais recentes foram deHugo Souza, que seguirá como titular na ausência do goleiro Santos, recuperando-se de lesão muscular.

Willian Arão, Léo Pereira, Isla, Diego Alves, Filipe Luís, Andreas… Não foram poucos os jogadores do Flamengo que tiveram erros decisivos em outros momentos da temporada. Após vencer a Universidad Católica (CHI), o Rubro-Negro espera confirmar o bom momento, aliando resultado e desempenho, diante do Goiás neste sábado. Os ingressos para a partida no Maracanã estão à venda. Saiba mais aqui!

Além de minimizar os erros defensivos e manter os atletas atentos, o Flamengo também precisa melhorar a eficiência nas finalizações. No Campeonato Brasileiro,o time de Paulo Sousa é o quarto que mais finaliza, com 89 chutes, atrás de Palmeiras, Coritiba e Atlético-MG.

São 37 chutes certos (o terceiro melhor índice entre os 20 clubes da Série A), mas apenas seis gols marcados, o que torna o Flamengo o quinto pior ataque – junto com Fluminense, Internacional e Ceará.

David Moyes has just masterminded a 3-2 victory for Everton over Tottenham Hotspur at Goodison Park, with goals from Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Iliman Ndiaye and an Archie Gray own goal.

Despite having just 36% possession in the game, Everton managed to generate 2.03 xG against Tottenham, compared to the 1.11 xG generated by Ange Postecoglou’s side.

This goes against the words of Darren Bent before the game, stating the Toffees had been “apprehensive in front of goal” this season.

Everton managed to create five big chances, effectively breaking the lines of Spurs’ press, going from back to front efficiently and getting their shots off (12 in the game), with one man in particular leading the charge.

Iliman Ndiaye's performance in numbers vs Spurs

Ndiaye has been Everton’s star man in attack this season, joining in the summer from Marseille for a fee of around £16.9m. In his time at the club so far, the 24-year-old has made 24 appearances, scoring six goals in his 1,949 minutes played.

Against Tottenham, Ndiaye played 81 minutes, managing 50 touches on the ball, taking two shots (one on target) and completing four out of his six dribble attempts in the game, often at the heart of Everton’s attacks, receiving the ball and carrying it out on the counter.

It was his mesmeric goal that proved to be the showstopping moment, dribbling forward with pace and then dancing around Radu Dragusin as though he wasn’t even there.

He also did his bit off the ball, winning seven of his 17 contested ground duels, winning one of his three contested aerial duels and making two tackles, showing the attackers’ willingness to work for his team both on and off the ball, in order to have an impact on the game.

Performance in Numbers

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That said, there was a player who was perhaps even more important and he’s certainly made himself undroppable to the new boss…

Idrissa Gueye's performance in numbers vs Spurs

Idrissa Gueye was the key in midfield, providing energy, physicality and defensive stability in the middle of the park, winning duels for fun and setting Everton on the break numerous times.

Minutes

90

Touches

54

Accurate Passes

35/37

Assists

2

Key Passes

2

Long Balls

1/1

Ground Duels Won

6/8

Aerial Duels Won

1/1

Tackles

3

Gueye was winning the ball back in midfield to great effect, kick-starting Everton’s counterattacks, winning his duel (75% on the ground) and looking to play quickly forwards, which explains the nature of his two assists in the game.

Whether it was the defensive groundwork, simplifying play (with a 95% passing accuracy) to keep possession, or speeding up the tempo by playing through the lines, Gueye was at the heart of everything positive Everton did, earning him an impressive 8/10 match rating from the Liverpool Echo who explained that he was ‘showing there is silk as well as steel to his game.’

The performances of both Ndiaye and Gueye, among others, have given Moyes a huge statement win, which could be a great starting point for Everton to begin climbing away from the relegation zone, now sitting 16th in the Premier League, with their next games against Brighton and Leicester City.

He plays like Haaland: Moyes targeting "special" DCL replacement at Everton

Everton are looking to ditch Calvert-Lewin and sign a new centre-forward this month.

ByAngus Sinclair Jan 17, 2025

After a celebrated commentary career spanning 45 years, Ian Chappell has decided to put down his mic. The 78-year-old former Australia captain, who is widely admired for his incisive views on the game and his forthright manner of expressing them, told the that he had been contemplating the decision for a while.”I remember the day when I knew I’d had enough of playing cricket,” he said. “I looked at the clock and it was five past 11 on a day of play and I thought, ‘S**t, if you’re clock-watching at that time, I have to go’.Related

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“So when it comes to commentary, I’ve been thinking about it. I had a minor stroke a few years back and I got off lucky. But it just makes everything harder. And I just thought with all the travel and, you know, walking upstairs and things like that, it’s all just going to get harder.”Then I read what Rabbits [legendary rugby league commentator Ray Warren] said with retirement and it really struck home when I read the bit where he said, ‘you’re always one sentence closer to making a mistake’.”Chappell entered the commentary box towards the end of a playing career of 75 Test matches – 30 of them as captain – and became part of a team of distinctive voices that backgrounded Channel Nine’s broadcasts of Australian cricket for more than three decades, alongside Richie Benaud, Bill Lawry and Tony Greig.Channel Nine and Chappell enjoyed a long relationship, but not one without the occasional fraught moment.”Kerry [Packer, the media mogul who owned Channel Nine] wanted to sack me a couple of times,” Chappell said. “He used to get the s***s about one-day cricket, because that was his baby. And I might have said something about one-day cricket. With Kerry it was just like a storm – you’d let it blow over till the next one came.”When asked how he would like to be remembered as a commentator, Chappell replied: “It’s up to other people to decide what they think of me and some will think I’ve been all right. Some will think I’ve been a pr**k. That doesn’t bother me one bit.”Chappell has had to endure health issues in recent years, including a diagnosis of skin cancer, but he remained a sharp and fiercely independent voice on the game, in broadcast and print. He writes a regular column on ESPNcricinfo, where he recently questioned the seeming consensus among the game’s administrators that the future of cricket will inevitably belong to franchise T20 leagues, with Test cricket pushed to the margins.

“I’ve made the decision take a step back to enable me to spend time focusing on myself,” Australia’s captain said

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Aug-2022Australia captain Meg Lanning will take an indefinite break from the game for personal reasons.It means Lanning, who recently led Australia to the gold medal at the Commonwealth Games to follow their T20 and ODI World Cup titles in 2020 and 2022, will miss the Hundred where she would have played for Trent Rockets. Australia’s domestic season starts in late September with the WNCL ahead of the WBBL in October. Kim Garth, the Ireland allrounder, will replace Lanning in the Rockets squad.Australia’s next series is an away T20I tour of India in mid-December ahead of hosting Pakistan next January before the T20 World Cup in South Africa.”After a busy couple of years, I’ve made the decision to take a step back to enable me to spend time focusing on myself,” Lanning said in a statement. “I’m grateful for the support of CA and my team-mates and ask that my privacy is respected during this time.”Cricket Australia’s head of performance, women’s cricket, Shawn Flegler said: “We’re proud of Meg for acknowledging that she needs a break and will continue to support her during this time.”She’s been an incredible contributor to Australian cricket over the last decade, achieving remarkable feats both individually and as part of the team, and has been a brilliant role model for young kids.”The welfare of our players is always our number one priority, and we’ll continue to work with Meg to ensure she gets the support and space she needs.”Melbourne Stars general manager Blair Crouch said: “We’re fully supportive of Meg’s desire to have a break from cricket and we will give her all the time, support and space she needs.”Lanning made her international debut in 2010 and was named captain as a 21-year-old in 2014. She has led the team in 171 matches across all formats with 135 victories. Since 2017 she has only missed five internationals.

Ivan Juric has been unable to turn around the Southampton sinking ship since his arrival to the South Coast in late December, as the Saints stare a dire relegation straight in the face.

The Premier League table doesn’t lie with Southampton rock bottom of the pile currently on just six points, with an alarming ten point gap opening up already between the division’s basement club and Wolverhampton Wanderers in 17th position.

Whilst survival looks a tall order, there are a few faces in Juric’s camp that will continue to hold their heads high as bright sparks during these bleak times.

Southampton's top performers this season

One of those faces is Mateus Fernandes, who has looked lively for his lowly side even as games have slipped out of their grasp.

He was a standout performer during Southampton’s recent 3-1 loss at Old Trafford with three shots tallied up on Andre Onana’s shaky goal alongside two successful dribbles being registered, whilst the promising Portuguese midfielder also assisted Paul Onuachu’s late header away at Nottingham Forest last time out as the Saints flickered into life at the death.

Away from the Saints number 18, there has also been the occasional brilliance of youth product Tyler Dibling in attack who has managed to pick up two Premier League goals, whilst Kyle Walker-Peters has also threatened to get back to his blistering best.

Even in a Southampton side that has only mustered up a pitiful 15 top-flight strikes, Walker-Peters has still collected two assists, with a number of clubs reportedly circling for his services now amidst talk he will turn down any contract extension put forward to him.

Juric will hope he can keep a firm grip on the 5 foot 8 full-backs this month – away from all this speculation – but the Croat is unlikely to put up much of a fight to hold onto another defender on the contrary.

The latest on Charlie Taylor's future at Southampton

As per Sky Sports journalist Lyall Thomas earlier this month, Charlie Taylor is one figure Juric will be looking to offload this January, with other names on Thomas’ list looking to exit St Mary’s being Maxwel Cornet and Ben Brereton Diaz, as the latter now finds himself on loan at Sheffield United.

Therefore, Taylor could be the next fringe presence to be moved on, considering he has barely featured for the South Coast side this season after moving to the newly promoted team from Burnley last window.

Indeed, the ex-Clarets man has only started two times for his relegation-doomed outfit in the Premier League, with his last showing in the league seeing him introduced into the game at the half-time interval, only for the Saints to be resoundingly trounced 5-0 by Brentford.

Whilst he is by no means the only individual guilty of being an underperformer when you consider Southampton’s rock-bottom status, his steep wage will also be another major factor as to why there’s an increased hunger to get him off the books this January.

League games played

7

Games started

2

Clean sheets

0

Wage per week

£30k-per-week

Wage costs over the year

£1.5m

Looking at the table above, away from his poor defensive numbers, Taylor also surprisingly rakes in a hefty £30k-per-week pay packet, which means he earns more than both the aforementioned Walker-Peters and Fernandes.

The far brighter pair both earn £20k-per-week away from Taylor’s high earnings, with the Saints defender’s wage costs over the full year coming in at an extortionate £1.5m despite such a lack of game-time.

Therefore, it makes a lot of sense why Southampton want to get rid of the 31-year-old defender this month, as Juric attempts everything in his power to boost spirits to try and build some positive form.

Their next Mateus Fernandes: Southampton close in on new January signing

Southampton need all the January recruits they can get to turn around their depressing season.

ByKelan Sarson Jan 20, 2025

The Catalan side completely overpowered their German visitors in the first leg

Barcelona outclassed Borussia Dortmund as they strolled to 4-0 win in the Champions League quarter-final first-leg on Wednesday. The Catalan side took a massive advantage in the tie as Robert Lewandowski struck twice to upset his former team after Raphinha had nipped in to break the deadlock in the first half. A comfortable evening was rounded off by Lamine Yamal's tidy finish to practically guarantee a semi-final spot.

Yamal was leading the charge as the Catalan side dominated from the start. The 17-year-old forced a save from Gregor Kobel early on, but the Spain winger was too greedy moments later when he missed from a tight angle instead of squaring to Lewandowski. The Polish striker was not to be ignored the next time Barca burst forward through Raphinha, who knocked it straight into the middle for the striker, only for him to be denied by another strong stop.

It seemed only a matter of time before the Catalan side would find themselves ahead and the found the breakthrough despite a risky move from Raphinha. Inigo Martinez headed down to Pau Cubarsi to tap it home for his first Champions League goal, only for the Brazilian to rush in and knock it over the line. There was a nervous wait, though, as VAR checked to see if the had strayed offside, but the was allowed goal to stand.

The German side poked through a few times as the first half wore on but were unable to beat Wojciech Szczesny, with Serhou Guirassy floundering whenever the ball found its way to him. They were kept silent in the second-half, making it easy for Hansi Flick's men to push them back.

Within three minutes of the restart, Lewandowski got his first and deserved goal. Yamal's diagonal ball found Raphinha at the back post and he nodded across goal for the veteran to nod in from point blank range. Moments after missing three chances in quick succession, Fermin Lopez led the counter attack for Barcelona, combining with Yamal and then knocking it into Lewandowski's path for a fine finish.

Dortmund hit the self-destruct button late on as a defensive mix-up was pounced on by Lewandowski and fed to Raphinha, who picked out Yamal to send him through to round things off.

GOAL rates Barcelona's players from Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys…

AFPGoalkeeper & Defence

Wojciech Szczesny (7/10):

Kept Dortmund at bay as they found a way through occasionally

Jules Kounde (6/10):

Made a few good runs and some important defensive interventions.

Pau Cubarsi (7/10):

Was well positioned to score but was robbed. Looked sound at the back.

Inigo Martinez (7/10):

Let Guirassy slip in behind him in the first half but wasn't troubled in the second.

Alejandro Balde (5/10):

Lucky to avoid a booking for an awful challenge and didn't offer much going forward.

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Frenkie de Jong (6/10):

Kept his passing tidy and strolled through the second half.

Pedri (6/10):

Fairly quiet but was smooth as always when on the ball.

Fermin Lopez (7/10):

Was teed up by Pedri but clipped the post and then blundered two more efforts before setting up the third.

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Lamine Yamal (8/10):

Caused trouble early on with a strong shot but should have squared to Lewandowski moments later.

Robert Lewandowski (8/10):

Showed once again he's as sharp as ever. Always looked capable of scoring and delivered two fine goals.

Raphinha (9/10):

Took a huge risk by stealing his team-mates goal but did well to head over to Lewandowski for the second and sent Yamal through for number four.

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Gavi (5/10):

Barely got a touch in his 15 minutes on the field.

Eric Garcia (6/10):

Replaced Pedri late for the final 10.

Ronald Araujo (7/10):

Made two great blocks as Dortmund had a big chance near the end.

Ferran Torres (6/10):

Came on for Lewandowski but made a good defensive stop.

Ansu Fati (N/A):

On for Yamal in the 86th minute.

Hansi Flick (8/10):

Nailed it.

GOAL US looks at De Bruyne's remaining games for City, Bruno's heroics and a rundown of what to watch in England's top flight

It's a strange weekend in the Premier League. Liverpool are champions elect, but doing a fairly poor job of actually winning this thing, stumbling across the line and benefitting from Arsenal's equally disappointing performances of late. Meanwhile, Southampton made unwanted history last week by becoming the earliest team to face relegation in the competition's history.

The real drama is to be found in the middle of the table. Champions League spots are up for grabs, and the unthinkable – that Man City might not qualify for the tournament? – isn't too far off. Teams as far down as 10th-place Bournemouth are still within a shout of qualification, which would make for a wonderful story.

There is still reason to watch, especially with Kevin De Bruyne announcing that he will leave Manchester City at the end of the season after an enthralling tenure at the club.

GOAL US looks at all of those plot points and more in Premier League Primer, a weekly rundown of what to watch from an American perspective in England's top flight.

• Getty
  

  Kevin De Bruyne looks to end on a high

  Is Kevin De Bruyne the best player in Manchester City's history? An argument can certainly be made to that effect. Sergio Aguero scored more goals. David Silva kicked off a whole era. Yaya Toure probably had more talent. But De Bruyne has been there throughout, molding his game, changing his style, tweaking everything to serve as the focal point of Pep Guardiola's tactical genius.

  It is a real shame that the Premier League is losing him – even if his legs are steadily going.

  And his (admittedly lengthy) farewell tour continues this Saturday as City take on Crystal Palace at 7:30 a.m. ET. It won't be an easy game. City have been bad this season, and currently sit outside the Champions League spots. It would be fairly implausible to see a team this good, with this much money, fail to play in Europe's premier competition next year.

  But right now, it's possible. De Bruyne, who likely wanted to cruise through the remainder of his tenure in Northern England, will have to start producing for the club he has given so, so much to.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Bruno Fernandes, United hero?

  Bruno Fernandes certainly has his critics. The midfielder, for so long, was tagged as a "poor leader." Legends of the club lambasted him for his work rate (or lack thereof), general attitude, and failure to produce in big moments. They seem to have ignored, in all of their crticiism, that Fernandes is, by pretty much all measures, a world-class footballer.

  He is, at this point, pretty much the only reason United are still alive in Europe and mid table, rather than fearing relegation.

  There is only so much he can do here. Still, Fernandes is the only player with more than 70 tackles, interceptions and chances created combined – not bad for someone who's not worthy of wearing the badge.

  It was good enough to grind out a fairly unwatchable goalless draw against Man City. He will have to be even better on Sunday at 11:30 a.m. ET, when the Red Devils take on a Newcastle side fighting for a Champions League spot.

• getty
  

  Darwin Nunez soon to leave

  Darwin Nunez's time might have run out. The Uruguayan striker was constantly defended by Jurgen Klopp when Liverpool signed him for big money in 2022. He needed time. He was still raw. There was more to his game than just pace. That may be true in some ways.

  Nunez has certainly shown excellent work rate and has improved as a passer. But Arne Slot has been reluctant to use Liverpool's record signing, especially in recent weeks. This is not the kind of No. 9 that the Dutch manager wants.

  But he is granted sparing minutes all the same. Part of it may simply be to drive his price up in the market. There was rumored Saudi Pro League interest in January, and there are whispers that he could go if the right offer comes in this summer.

  Regardless, his whole Liverpool tenure – in which he has managed a meager 25 goals in 90 Premier League appearances to date – has been captivating stuff. Odds are there will be a few more fireworks to come, starting with Sunday's clash with West Ham at 9 a.m. ET.

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  American ties

  It figures to be an important weekend for two crucial cogs of Mauricio Pochettino's USMNT side. Bournemouth and Fulham will square off in a surprisingly important game in terms of the push for European football.

  If results on the continent go elsewhere, the eighth-place team in the Premier League could be playing football next year. Antonee Robinson's Fulham are in eighth, while Tyler Adams' Bournemouth are in 10th. The winner will take a significant step towards European football with six games to go.

Top local contracts are for around A$200,000 for 14 games, while for foreign platinum players it is A$340,000 regardless of number of matches

Andrew McGlashan30-Aug-2022

Steven Smith feels the BBL’s priority should be to look after domestic Australian cricketers. The competition offered big sums of money to overseas players in the draft recently – in the end, five of the foreign platinum players, who will earn A$340,000 (US$234,180 approx.) regardless of how many matches they will be available for, were not picked.In the lead-up to the draft, there had already been rumblings of discontent from local players about the difference between what the top Australian earners can currently get from the BBL compared to the overseas stars. The top local contract is worth around A$200,000 (US$137,753 approx.) for a 14-game regular season.Related

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That is certain to change when the new MoU is thrashed out in the coming months, and there is broadly an understanding that this season is about doing whatever it takes to get the BBL back on track after two difficult years, but Smith confirmed there was unease around the game.”I think [the draft] is interesting, I don’t know what the best way forward is,” he said. “In terms of tournaments around the world, you have to look after your local players most importantly.”And seeing some of the players who are coming out for big cash, I know a few of the local players, that are big players, are a little bit disappointed in terms of remuneration for the tournament. I think there’s going to have to be a way around that to keep your local players happy. I’m sure it is something to look at.”David Warner will appear for Sydney Thunder after signing a big-money deal, which matches the platinum level, after having been courted by the ILT20.Smith, too, has been offered a contract by Sydney Sixers to play following the final home Test against South Africa which ends on January 8, but has so far declined. He still holds some resentment for how he was barred from playing for Sixers last year, and has yet to decide what he will do.”Honestly, last year the most disappointing aspect was the series [against New Zealand] got cancelled and there was a window there for me to play some white-ball cricket in the lead up to the Sri Lanka series,” he said. “I wanted to play some domestic cricket in our domestic tournament to get some work in for that. My T20 cricket hasn’t been as good as I would like it to be, so I wanted to get some work in and to not be allowed to play in my domestic tournament was the most disappointing thing for me.”Last month, Australian Cricketers’ Association chief executive Todd Greenberg said that the players knew they would benefit from a successful BBL, but the tournament needed to be fair.”Players care about the game, they want to be partners,” he told the . “They understand the long-term impacts of broadcast revenues, but to be part of that it has to go both ways. It’s a competitive marketplace, and it is getting more competitive by the minute.”We want our best players playing, but we want them paid appropriately.”While Smith said that he was not looking at overseas leagues, he was cryptic about what he may do in the BBL window, soon after which Australia head to India for four Tests.”I’m just keeping my options open at the moment, there’s a few things I could possibly do,” he said. “I’ll see what happens.”

Aston Villa continue to impress this season.

Last weekend’s 2-1 victory over Leicester City means Unai Emery’s team are now unbeaten in 13 Premier League or Champions League home games, winning eight of them, most notably defeating Bayern Munich and Manchester City in front of their own supporters.

This leaves the Claret and Blue Army eighth in the league, thereby occupying the last potential European position, also fifth in the gigantic Champions League standings, on course to go straight through to the round of 16, with games against Monaco and Celtic still to come later this month.

One Villa player in particular has caught the eye this season so far, with some of Europe’s leading clubs casting admiring glances.

Aston Villa's main man in demand

According to RMC Sport on Twitter, Ligue 1 champions and Champions League giants Paris Saint-Germain have made contact over the possibility of signing striker Jhon Durán.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

As per talkSPORT, the Colombian is valued at £60m, while Jacob Steinberg in the Guardian has also documented Chelsea’s long-standing interest.

Having lost Kylian Mbappé last summer, PSG are certainly in the market for the striker, with Randal Kolo Muani having been “discarded” by manager Luis Enrique, so could Durán be les Rouge-et-Bleu’s man?

Graham Ruthven of Total Soccer Show predicts that Durán is going “get a big transfer in 2025”, adding that Villa would be able to justify this given that they already have Ollie Watkins and, as noted by Adrian Clarke, Emery is struggling to get both of them into the same team.

Aston Villa's Jack Grealish repeat

Durán is currently suspended, following his red card at Newcastle on Boxing Day, but will serve the last of his three-match ban against West Ham in the FA Cup on Friday night, so it’ll be interesting to see if he returns in place of Watkins when Villa visit Everton on Wednesday.

It is quite the dilemma Emery is faced with, so let’s see how his two centre-forwards compare.

Of course, Durán’s pure goal-scoring numbers are very impressive, scoring more goals than Watkins in little over half the number of minutes, while his goals – xG figure of +4.4 is very impressive, currently ranked eighth in the Premier League for this metric, while Watkins, in stark contrast, is sixth-bottom for the same statistic.

However, the Englishman’s tally of seven assists, to the Colombian’s zero, as well as Watkins’ greater number of shot-creating actions and touches suggests he is a superior all-round striker.

Losing Duran could then evoke memories of one of Aston Villa’s last big-money, high-profile sales, which saw Jack Grealish move to Manchester City for a then British record £100m.

At the time, it was viewed as an impossible task to replace Grealish, with Richard Jolly of FourFourTwo claiming they “squandered” the money on “failed” signings Leon Bailey, Emi Buendía and Danny Ings.

Nevertheless, since then, Villa have finished seventh, reached the UEFA Conference League semi-finals and got back into the Champions League for the first time in over four decades, so they haven’t done too badly.

Thus, of course, supporters will not want to see Durán go, but his departure may be necessary if they’re to avoid breaching Profit and Sustainability rules and, with Emery in charge, Villa have proven themselves capable of thriving, even in the face of losing star players.

For that reason, losing the former Chicago Fire striker may not actually prove the end of the road for the Emery revolution. Having arguably thrived since Grealish’s departure, Villa could well reinvest in similar fashion if Duran is to follow suit.

Like Grealish – who has now gone over a year without scoring for Man City – Villa’s number nine could find that the grass isn’t always greener elsewhere.

Talks opened: Aston Villa pursuing "top talent" who could be Duran 2.0

Aston Villa are looking to add to their attacking options

By
Joe Nuttall

Jan 10, 2025

England 415 for 9 dec (Foakes 113*, Stokes 103) beat South Africa 151 (Anderson 3-32, Broad 3-37) and 179 (Petersen 42, Robinson 4-43) by 123 runsTest centuries and all that, sure, they’re nice. But for Ben Stokes, you get the sense that nothing can beat the sensation of a job well done that accompanied his down-and-dirty exploits on the third afternoon at Emirates Old Trafford.After the highs of his game-changing stand with Ben Foakes on Friday, came the low, visually at least, of England’s captain bending for breath between balls during his gut-busting 14-over spell, either side of the tea break. And yet, his apparently everyman figures of 2 for 30 were best expressed by the events that bookended them.Before Stokes’ intervention, South Africa’s fourth-wicket pairing, Keegan Petersen and Rassie van der Dussen, had endured for a doughty stand of 87, spanning 42.2 overs including the entire afternoon session, to give their side hope of a miraculous turnaround.Straight after Stokes, however, came England’s second new ball, and the sight of James Anderson and Ollie Robinson completing the job they had started with such surety in the long-distant morning session. On their watch, England ripped out the remaining five wickets in 31 balls before stumps, to square the series with an innings-and-85-run victory that was no less crushing than the one they had themselves suffered at Lord’s last week.And, in between whiles, came the interventions that made the victory surge possible, two moments of raw inspiration that their captain dredged from within himself, to rip apart South Africa’s burgeoning resistance and lay bare their futile prospects.Van der Dussen, who was subsequently confirmed to have suffered a broken left index finger that will rule him out of next week’s third Test, battled with huge resolve after arriving at an uncompromising 54 for 3 in the 14th over of the day – often removing his top hand on impact as England probed his stumps and forced him to dig deep for the cause. But, after 20 minutes of cooling off during the interval, he was lured outside his eyeline as Stokes shaped one away at good pace, and Foakes behind the stumps plucked a priceless chance.One over later, and Stokes produced an even more awesome moment. Petersen had been bloodless in his resolve in the middle session, denying himself any attacking impetus as he set himself and his team for survival. But Stokes’ response was a sizzling lifter – fast, straight and climbing wickedly off the seam and into his gloves as he tried to rear out of harm’s way.At 151 for 5, with 2 for 19 in eight overs, Stokes could arguably have pulled himself out there and then, the glory moment secure, and handed the attack back to his frontline quicks. But with the ball now 68 overs old, he instead took it upon himself to shoulder the burden for the remainder of its 80-over life. Within 5.1 overs of the replacement, his instinct was proven to be spot on.The end came with startling speed. After a chastening match with the ball, Simon Harmer had got himself into line with determination throughout his 48-ball stay. But Anderson’s second delivery with the new ball was simply too good – full, straight, seaming, and decisive, as it burst through the gate into the top of the off stump.Robinson responded with equal authority – his fourth ball climbed at Keshav Maharaj for a sharp edge to Ollie Pope at fourth slip, and from there it was a race to the bottom. Anderson found Kagiso Rabada’s edge for Joe Root to stoop at first slip, before Robinson wrapped up the collapse by delivering back-to-back ducks on Anrich Nortje and Lungi Ngidi, and seal impressive comeback figures of 4 for 43.And so ended another one-sided three-day Test, although it was a significantly more compelling day of action than might have been envisaged after the first hour of action.South Africa had fought hard on the second evening, following England’s first-innings declaration, to reach 23 for 0 at the close. But that resilience was unpicked with haste upon the resumption, with their captain and linchpin Dean Elgar falling within 15 minutes of the resumption – brilliantly outfoxed by Anderson, whose 662nd Test wicket took him to 949 in all internationals, bringing him level with Glenn McGrath as the most prolific seamer across formats. By the day’s end, of course, he was out on his own at the top.Opening up from his very own End, Anderson needed just four deliveries to line up Elgar and send him on his way for the sixth time in Test cricket. The third of those jagged wickedly from round the wicket and lifted past Elgar’s splice; the next, a fraction fuller, skidded straight past a now-crease-bound batter, to pluck out his off stump for 11.Sarel Erwee was similarly out-thought, as Robinson switched to round the wicket from over, and confounded his alignment with the perfect full length. And then came Broad – relegated to first-change status for this match but gagging for his slice of the action.Within five balls, Broad trimmed Aiden Markram’s bails with the ball of the Test so far, only for the third umpire to belatedly call no-ball. Nonplussed but undeterred, Broad settled for luring Markram outside off in his second over instead… but pointedly curbed his enthusiasm until he’d received word from umpire Chris Gaffeney that his front foot had been given a clean bill of health.And that could have been that, especially with van der Dussen visibly hampered. But, with watchfulness to the fore, he and Petersen set their sights on survival.However, England’s grip on the contest was not exactly loosened in a middle session that yielded just 53 runs, with 123 still needed for parity by tea. With his spinner, Jack Leach, bowling dry from the James Anderson End, conceding 19 runs in as many overs, Stokes was able to rotate his seamers with attacking fields, including close catchers at silly mid-off and mid-on, and keep them fresh for the new ball.Six of those pre-tea overs were from Stokes himself – a tight, channelled burst of aggression that yielded just eight runs and a constant threat of reverse-swing, including a thin snick off van der Dussen in the penultimate over of the session that England failed to notice. But it mattered not in the final analysis. After the break, everything came flooding out, as England squared the rubber in the style that their captain has ordained.