Category Uncategorized

On a track typical of the ones we’ve seen at Chepauk in seasons past, Super Kings handed Knight Riders their first loss of IPL 2024

Ashish Pant08-Apr-20243:17

What made Jadeja so difficult to score off?

After two back-to-back defeats on the road, Chennai Super Kings returned to the comforts of home and to winning ways, consigning Kolkata Knight Riders to their first loss of IPL 2024.On a surface that was typical of the one we have been used to at Chepauk in seasons past, CSK bowled first and restricted KKR to 137 for 9. This after KKR had raced to 56 for 1 in the powerplay. But as the ball got older, the CSK bowlers, led by Ravindra Jadeja who picked 3 for 18, came into their own.In the chase, Ruturaj Gaikwad got back into form, shepherding the innings with an unbeaten 58-ball 67 to take CSK over the line with seven wickets and 14 balls to spare. He added 70 off 55 balls with Daryl Mitchell (25 off 19) before Shivam Dube came in and tonked 28 off 18 to take CSK closer.With three to win, in walked MS Dhoni, causing bedlam in the Chepauk stands. But it was Gaikwad who fittingly finished off the chase by crashing Anukul Roy through covers.Gaikwad’s welcome return to formIt hasn’t been the strongest of starts for Gaikwad in IPL 2024. Coming into the game, he had only managed 88 runs in four innings, averaging 22 in the tournament. But with a modest target in front of him, he bedded in for the long haul. After a watchful first over, he got going with a ramp off Vaibhav Arora and moved from 4 off 9 to 32 off 23 by the end of the powerplay.Ruturaj Gaikwad and MS Dhoni saw CSK home•BCCI

The early impetus was provided by Rachin Ravindra who went after Mitchell Starc, but once he fell, Gaikwad made sure to keep the things moving forward. With Ajinkya Rahane struggling with a calf strain, he had additional responsibility and took up the role well.Gaikwad took on the left-arm spin of Anukul Roy, backing away first ball of the fifth over and creaming him through covers. He repeated those shots twice over before smashing Vaibhav Arora for two back-to-back fours. CSK had raced to 52 for 1 at the end of the powerplay.CSK make it 3/3 at homeGaikwad got excellent support from Mitchell and Dube in helping CSK get over the line. Mitchell, promoted up the order to No. 3, hit his straps by thumping Sunil Narine for a six and four immediately after the powerplay. The duo did not always keep the boundaries flowing but they kept the scoreboard ticking. In the 36 balls between overs six to 12, they scored 44 runs – 17 singles, five doubles, two fours and one six – and that was all CSK needed as the asking run rate crept below the six an over mark.Once Mitchell fell, it was the Dube show as he continued his merry run in IPL 2024. He hammered Varun Chakravarthy for back-to-back sixes and then muscled Arora for another one over deep midwicket. Dube is the current leading run-scorer for CSK this season and has a strike rate of 193.93 against all spinners. On Monday, he only enhanced his credentials. It didn’t take long for CSK to finish off the chase after Dube fell, wrapping up the game in 17.4 overs.Win contribution CSK vs KKR•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Sunil Narine – the powerplay kingAfter losing the toss and a wicket off the first ball of the game, KKR were propped up by Sunil Narine, their powerplay wrecker-in-chief this season. He went after Tushar Deshpande in his second over. A four through square leg, one over mid-off and then a six over deep square – Narine was up and away. Not even a shoulder injury seemed to stop him.During his innings, Narine also went past Virat Kohli to now have the most runs in the powerplay this season – 127 at a strike rate of 201.58. He found an ally in Angkrish Raghuvanshi, who continued on from his debut innings as the duo added 56 runs off 36 balls for the second wicket.The slowdown courtesy Ravindra JadejaThe CSK spinners had not picked up a single wicket at Chepauk in the first two matches there in IPL 2024. And Jadeja seemed to take it personally. He picked up three wickets in his first eight balls of the match, putting a big dent in the KKR middle order.Ravindra Jadeja turned the game on its head with three wickets in eight balls•BCCI

He first sent back Raghuvanshi, who shaped up for a reverse sweep, missed and was caught right in front. Then he got rid of Narine for the fourth time in five T20 innings, the batter slicing a length ball straight to long-off. Venkatesh Iyer was Jadeja’s third victim holing out to deep midwicket with Mitchell taking a good catch diving forward. Normally Jadeja’s plan in these conditions is to be as accurate as possible. Here he knew he had to do one other thing as well. Not bowl full. Let the natural variation that this pitch was offering do its thing.After scoring 56 in the first six overs, KKR only managed 43 in the next nine, losing four wickets in the process.The quicks go slowOnce 15 overs were done, Gaikwad got the fast bowlers into play, and they relied more on the cutters. Deshpande had Rinku Singh chopping one back onto his stumps before Mustafizur Rahman took over. He might have been coming off a long run-up but got slower cutters in, which would have made any slow left-arm orthodox spinner proud.He delivered a stellar final over picking up two wickets and conceding just two runs. While Deshpande finished with 3 for 33 off his four overs, Mustafizur picked 2 for 22, and became the highest wicket-taker in the competition. Sixteen of the 24 balls delivered by the duo in the last four overs were cutters, and KKR had no clue.

Aston Villa have shown interest in signing Sami Aghehowa from FC Porto this summer as they have identified the Spanish striker as a possible replacement for Ollie Watkins. Manchester United are keen on signing the English forward in the summer window and in case Watkins exits Villa Park, the club would go after Aghehowa who is valued at €80 million (£69m/$93.5m) by the Portuguese club.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Aston Villa identify Watkins' replacement
• Eyeing a move for FC Porto's Samu Aghehowa
• Man Utd keen on signing Watkins

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Porto signed Aghehowa from Atletico Madrid in a rush last summer for €30m (£26m/$35m), although they could not pay the entire sum at that moment. They paid €15m (£13m/$17.5m) last year and kept the remaining 50 per cent of the amount as future transfer fees. The Portuguese club recently paid €12m (£10m/$14m) for the player's rights and it remains unclear whether they have cleared Atletico's dues in a full settlement.

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  now reports that Porto might consider parting ways with the striker after just one season, where he scored 27 goals in 45 matches, as clubs like Aston Villa have shown interest in the 21-year-old forward. The report adds that Porto value the player at €80m and the starting point of any negotiation will be at €70m.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The Villans' interest in the Spanish footballer, however, depends on whether Watkins exits the club this summer. The England international has emerged as a transfer target for Manchester United, as the Red Devils look to revamp their forward line this summer.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?

  United will hope to sign a striker this summer, though that may depend heavily on whether they can sell the likes of Marcus Rashford, Rasmus Hojlund and Alejandro Garnacho, among others.

The head-to-head, of course, has India leading 7-0. Pakistan will be very keen to end that jinx

Shashank Kishore13-Oct-20235:28

Why has Bumrah stood out? What’s ailing Shaheen?

Big Picture – Can the teams shut out the noise?There was thunder and lightning. Rain that began as a passing shower turned into a deluge, sending people scurrying for cover to preserve – guess what? – their physical match ticket so that they could return the next day to watch a game of cricket, the IPL final no less.It turned out to be the match of the tournament, and perhaps for many of the fans, their lives. As people made a beeline for the exit at 3am, more than 30 hours after the match was scheduled to have begun, several were still revelling in the festivities that followed that emotional roller-coaster of a final.Ahmedabad was the epicentre of Indian cricket that night, and the promise of a similar occasion, perhaps even grander, later in the year for a match they were all sure would be held in Ahmedabad, excited them.That grand occasion is nearly here.Related

Rohit Sharma: 'I don't think there is a favourite or an underdog'

Fans travelling to Ahmedabad for Ind-Pak game brace for logistical nightmare

Rizwan's ODI brilliance can no longer fly under the radar

Ahmedabad dresses up for the grand Cricket-ratri festival

'All streaks are meant to be broken' – Babar turns down the noise about Pakistan's 0-7 run against India

On Saturday, Ahmedabad won’t just be the epicentre of Indian cricket, but world cricket, with 132,000 people – a decent chunk being celebrities, industrialists, politicians, friends of politicians and, of course, cricket administrators – congregating at what they say is the world’s biggest cricket stadium to witness a match that makes the cricket economy – bilateral non-relations notwithstanding.Welcome to instalment eight of India vs Pakistan at men’s 50-over World Cups. Depending on whether you plan to sport blue or green on the day, you probably feel like gloating over that unmatched record or need no reminding of the duck you hope will become . In literal terms, that means “together” – like administrators from both sides who spar at boardrooms and in the media will be – but in this cricketing context, it refers to the scoreline that Pakistani fans, and the players, will hope for at the end of the night: 1-7.5:40

‘Once the first ball is bowled, everything is back to normal’

Pakistan have spent two weeks in Hyderabad, and are among the teams that will travel the least at this World Cup. Whether by design or accident, that should be a blessing in disguise, for a game of this magnitude will need plenty of recovering from anyway. And in a twisted sort of way, perhaps, the Pakistan players will have it a tad easier, in that at least they won’t need to be juggling match passes for long lists of friends and family – due to all the visa issues.It’s the kind of game that can take up mind space for days, if not longer. Sachin Tendulkar, for example, revealed that Centurion, and nothing else, was on his mind for over a month, until the sides met on that memorable day in March 2003, because he was reminded of it wherever he went and by whomever he met – from those on room-service duty to the fans to the media. MS Dhoni, whose hotel room was apparently never shut while on tour, decided he needed to make an exception ahead of the 2011 Mohali semi-final.In a nutshell that’s the essence of India vs Pakistan.Form guideIndia WWLWW (last five completed ODIs, most recent first)
Pakistan WWLWWJasprit Bumrah was menacing with the new ball and wily with the old against Afghanistan•ICC/Getty Images

In the spotlight: Jasprit Bumrah and Abdullah ShafiqueJasprit Bumrah will be playing a World Cup game on his home ground, but seems immune to all the pressure. When the inevitable question on playing Pakistan at the Narendra Modi Stadium came up at a press interaction, he quipped he was more keen to first make a quick dash home to visit his mum. And if he’s got his head in the right place, form is on his side too: Bumrah heads into the game on the back of a stellar show against Afghanistan, a four-wicket haul that would have won him the match honours on most nights but was overshadowed by a Rohit Sharma special that time.Abdullah Shafique would not have been playing had Fakhar Zaman shown a semblance of form in the lead-up to the tournament. But, on World Cup debut, his century and his partnership with Mohammad Rizwan helped put together a record chase against Sri Lanka. Expectations are bound to rise, but he seems level-headed enough to deal with the attention that may come his way. Saturday will be a test of that.Team news: Shubman Gill very much in the pictureShubman Gill, who missed India’s first two games with dengue, has recovered well enough to have a 99% chance of playing the game. He had had a net session immediately upon arrival in Ahmedabad, where he joined up with the rest of the team after a spell away to recover. If that 1% comes into play and Gill doesn’t feature on Saturday, it’s likely Ishan Kishan will continue to open. Only last month, Kishan counter-punched to make an 81-ball 82 against Pakistan in Pallekele, so there’s enough recent evidence of his being quite ready to face an attack of this quality.It can also be quite tempting to play Mohammed Shami, given his IPL record here. Also, pacers have bowled a bigger percentage of overs than spinners (59.8% versus 40.2%) and have more wickets (38 to spin’s 23) in ODIs here since 2021. But the team management leans towards having some batting cushion at No. 8, which none of their frontline pacers provide. So, for now, it could be another opportunity for Shardul Thakur.India: 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Ishan Kishan/Shubman Gill, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 KL Rahul (wk), 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Shardul Thakur, 9 Jasprit Bumrah, 10 Kuldeep Yadav, 11 Mohammed SirajAbdullah Shafique’s century would have Pakistan feeling good about their opening combination•ICC via Getty Images

Pakistan have little reason to change a combination that worked wonders for them against Sri Lanka. There’s just a one small concern. While Hasan Ali picked up four wickets, he did get taken for plenty. If they are looking for a change, there’s Mohammad Wasim waiting in the wings.Pakistan: 1 Abdullah Shafique, 2 Imam-ul-Haq, 3 Babar Azam (capt), 4 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 5 Saud Shakeel, 6 Ifthikhar Ahmed, 7 Shadab Khan, 8 Mohammad Nawaz, 9 Shaheen Afridi, 10 Hasan Ali/Mohammad Wasim, 11 Haris RaufPitch and conditionsHot and dry on the weather front. There could be some dew later in the evening, which will also mean the team batting first will want to go hard. It’s a black soil surface, next to the one that played host to the tournament opener where New Zealand’s top order made merry. As such, it should be a belter of a surface for the organisers want to make it a spectacle in every sense.Stats and trivia Rohit Sharma has been out five times in 13 innings against left-arm pace in the powerplay since 2021. It’s all then set up for another exciting round of Rohit vs Shaheen Shah Afridi. India’s bowling strike rate of 32.5 in the powerplay is the best among all teams in ODIs since 2022. In this phase, Siraj has taken most wickets for India (32). The 67 innings Imam-ul-Haq took to get past 3000 runs in the previous game makes him the second-fastest behind Hashim Amla to get there in ODIs. The glaring concern, though, will be his five dismissals in seven innings this year against short-pitched bowling, including in the opener against Netherlands. This is something India’s pace attack may want to exploit first up. Babar Azam has hit just 71 runs in five innings since his 150* in the Asia Cup opener against Nepal. This is his joint-longest streak of not scoring 30 or more in an ODI innings.Quotes”I don’t focus too much on what has happened in the past and focus on what’s coming ahead. These records are made to be broken and we will try to break it.”
“All the guys are quite used to playing in front of big crowds. It can only work in your favour. It cannot work against you. A lot of the guys in the team love a big crowd, the cheers, the noise in the ground. The boys really enjoy it.”

Rains and Hampshire resistance prevent a youthful Somerset from pulling off an emphatic final-day victory

ECB Reporters Network13-Jul-2023

Hampshire 330 (Organ 97, Abbott 89, Bashir 3-88) and 215 for 7 (Dawson 68*, Gubbins 50*, Bashir 3-67) drew with Somerset 500 (Rew 221, Aldridge 88, Bess 54, Abbott 4-56, Dawson 4-118)Nick Gubbins produced a four-hour defensive masterclass to earn Hampshire a backs-to-the-wall draw on the final day of the LV= Insurance County Championship match with Somerset at Taunton.The visitors slipped to 115 for 7, from an overnight 34 for 2, needing 55 more runs to avoid an innings defeat, before Gubbins (50 not out) and Liam Dawson (68 not out) produced a match-saving stand of exactly 100 either side of tea.Gubbins’ marathon vigil occupied 241 balls, while Dawson hit 14 fours and a six. Together they frustrated a home bowling attack in which 19-year-old offspinner Shoaib Bashir, who claimed 3 for 67 from 37 overs, excelled.Somerset’s young team, including three teenagers, had to settle for 12 points from a game they dominated, while their opponents took ten.Hampshire began the day needing 136 to avoid an innings defeat and soon lost first-innings hero Felix Organ, who drove at a ball from left-arm seamer Alfie Ogborne and edged to Tom Lammonby at third slip.No rain had been forecast, but a shower arrived at 11.20pm with the scoreboard reading 45 for 3. Nine overs were lost before play resumed at noon. Fletcha Middleton had looked largely untroubled in moving to 29 off 80 balls, but he departed with the total on 58, bowled by Bashir looking to play off the back foot through the on side.Bashir was looking hugely impressive for a player making only his third Championship appearance and without a run added he gave Somerset’s victory hopes a massive boost. Visiting skipper James Vince had held himself back to bat at No. 6 and lasted only four balls before glancing a catch to Kasey Aldridge, shrewdly positioned at leg slip.Ben Brown counterattacked with three fours in moving to 14 by the time a second shower saw lunch taken a few minutes early. At the interval, Bashir had figures of 3 for 17 from 12.4 overs, and Hampshire trailed by 92 runs.Three more overs were lost before a 1.45pm restart. Brown greeted the resumption with a cover drive for four as Bashir completed his 13th over and it was soon clear that Gubbins was setting his stall out to play the anchor role.The sixth-wicket pair built a half-century stand in 97 balls, foiling the combined efforts of spinners Bashir and Dom Bess and forcing Somerset skipper Tom Abell to recall seamer Aldridge to his attack. It proved an inspired move as Brown got a touch to a full delivery and wicketkeeper James Rew took a two-handed catch down the leg side, diving to his left.Three balls later, James Fuller fell for a duck as Aldridge found an inside edge through to Rew and suddenly Hampshire were 115 for 7, still 55 away from making their opponents bat again. Dawson got underway with boundaries off successive balls from Bess. Bashir was now bowling with five fielders clustered around the bat, but meeting solid resistance from Gubbins.He had battled away for 157 balls for his 31 runs by the time tea was taken with Hampshire 135 for 7, having reduced the deficit to 35.Dawson was the aggressor after the break as the pair took their stand past 50. Somerset turned to the occasional spin of first Tom Lammonby and then Andy Umeed for an over each without success ahead of taking the second new ball at 167 for 7.Bashir was handed it and Gubbins and Dawson still had work to do. A Gubbins boundary through the off side took his side into the slenderest of leads. Jack Brooks took the new ball at the other end with blue skies over the Cooper Associates County Ground. Dawson survived two confident appeals for close-in catches in the same Bashir over, Somerset fielders reacting with heads in hands.Left-hander Gubbins set himself to face most deliveries from the offspinner, preventing him exploiting the rough outside right-hander Dawson’s off stump. By the time the last hour and final 16 overs were signalled, Hampshire led by 17 runs.Dawson’s tenth four, hammered through the leg side off Bess, took him to a precious half-century off 115 balls. Gubbins followed to the same landmark off 237 deliveries and Somerset knew it was not going to be their day. The players shook hands at 5.35pm.

Real Madrid and France star Kylian Mbappe has spoken about his Ballon d'Or chances, claiming it is not an award that he can win just with his feet.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Mbappe sends message about Ballon d'Or
• Can't win Ballon d'Or 'with his feet'
• Will play in the Club World Cup this month

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Mbappe sent out a reminder that he is still one of the very best players in the world on Sunday as he put Germany to the sword with a goal and an assist. The France captain secured his side a third-place finish in the Nations League and has continued his rich vein of form ahead of this summer's Club World Cup. Despite a mixed debut season at Madrid, he won the European Golden Shoe and could strengthen his claim for a Ballon d'Or with success in this month's end-of-season tournament.

Advertisement

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT MBAPPE SAID

  Speaking after the Germany game, via , Mbappe said: "I'm not the one who gives it [the Ballon d'Or] out. I have opinions, and I've had different opinions about the last winners, by the way. The only trophy that depends solely on my feet is the Golden Shoe. The rest, I don't vote for."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Following Paris Saint-Germain's success in the Champions League last weekend, Ousmane Dembele is the current favourite to scoop the prize. Mbappe's French team-mate will face stiff competition from Lamine Yamal, who could add the Nations League trophy to his growing list of achievements on Sunday night. Other contenders include Raphinha, Mohamed Salah and Desire Doue.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR MBAPPE?

  Mbappe will fly to the United States this week to join up with his Real Madrid team-mates ahead of the Club World Cup. Los Blancos kick off their tournament with a game against Al-Hilal at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida. They will also face Pachuca and RB Salzburg in the group stage.

Captain Hardik Pandya has taken “full ownership” for Gujarat Titans’ last-over loss against Delhi Capitals in Ahmedabad as the hosts fell short by just five runs while he remained unbeaten on 59 off 53.Chasing 131, Titans needed 33 off the last 12 balls and then 12 off six, thanks to Rahul Tewatia, who hit three sixes off Anrich Nortje in the penultimate over. But when Hardik got strike in the last over against Ishant Sharma, he managed only a double and a single before Tewatia fell on the fourth ball, and Ishant brought it down to seven needed off the last ball before giving Capitals their third win.”I tried my best but could not capitalise. It boils down to me,” Hardik said. “Obviously, we would have taken 129 [131-run target] on any given day. [We] just lost a couple of wickets and at the end, Rahul got us back in the game.”Hardik struck seven fours in his knock but not a single six, and no boundaries in his last 13 balls when the asking rate kept shooting up.Titans had lost three wickets inside the powerplay and soon lost David Miller too in the seventh over to be 32 for 4. Despite not being explosive, Titans were steady thanks to a 62-run partnership between Hardik and Abhinav Manohar. However, the pair consumed 63 balls in the process with Manohar falling for 26 off 33.Hardik said that Manohar’s inexperience showed and once again asserted that it was his own inability to close the game that cost them.”We were hoping to get a couple of big overs in the middle but at that point of time we could not get rhythm,” he said. “It was new for Abhinav as well. It boils down to how I was not able to finish the game. Full marks to their bowlers as well and full ownership on my side where I could not finish the game I should’ve.”Hardik also said that the pressure on them was due to the early loss of wickets and that made it difficult for them to keep going with intent.”It was more about the pressure of [losing] wickets,” he said. “I don’t think the [track] played much role. It was a tad slower than what we are used to here. But they bowled really well. We lost a couple of early wickets and then we had to take some time. We could not get the rhythm in the middle. Rahul brought us back into the game. Otherwise, they were quite ahead.”Intent had to be there. It’s just that we lost a couple of wickets where if you keep losing wickets, it’s difficult to keep the intent as well. We lost because I could not get my rhythm and we kept losing wickets at the start and that put us under pressure. We like to take it deep and hope to get a couple of big overs which we could not get.”Three of Mohammed Shami’s four wickets in the powerplay were caught behind•Associated Press

Titans had restricted Capitals to a mere 130 for 8, led largely by a four-wicket haul from Mohammed Shami. The fast bowler picked up all four of those inside the powerplay to return with second-best figures in the phase in the IPL. Hardik felt sorry for Shami, who was adjudged Player of the Match, and said the batters couldn’t back the bowlers on the night.”I feel sorry for [Shami],” Hardik said. “If you bowl like that, then you restrict the team to 129 [130], I think [our] batters disappointed. I don’t think the ball did a lot. It’s just that Mohammed Shami’s skillset he has and he made the ball talk. Otherwise, I think for fast bowlers, the wicket did not have much assistance. But the way he bowled four on the trot and got us in the game, full credit [to him].”As I said, batters and particularly myself did not finish and we disappointed him.”

Liverpool’s rustiness over their last few games – which saw Arne Slot’s men exit the FA Cup in dramatic fashion to Plymouth Argyle and stumble to a 2-2 draw with bitter Merseyside rivals Everton – was very much on show again versus Vitor Pereira’s Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Indeed, the table-topping Reds ended up sneaking over the line to a 2-1 victory, despite racing into a comfortable two-goal lead in the first 45 minutes.

The well-known explosiveness of Matheus Cunha for the Old Gold would end up troubling Slot’s side, with many of Liverpool’s competitors to the Premier League title looking at the Brazilian this transfer window just gone as a viable buy.

Cunha's standout display vs Liverpool

Wanted by the likes of high-flying Arsenal and Nottingham Forest during the recently closed window, Wolves would have breathed a big sigh of relief when their ex-Atletico Madrid star actually stayed put at Molineux, instead of opting for a move away.

After all, Cunha had a mega total of 11 goals and four assists heading into Sunday’s clash, with his goal total now up to an even more sturdy 12 after his bright afternoon at Anfield.

That curled finish would gift the away side a lifeline in a contest that was increasingly becoming more and more nervy due to a catalogue of errors from the home outfit, resulting in Cunha tallying up a mammoth six efforts on Alisson’s consistently shaky net.

Thankfully, Liverpool would get back to winning ways just come the full-time whistle, with Slot left to curse the fact one star attacker missed out last minute due to a fitness test failing, who could have been his faltering team’s own Cunha.

Liverpool's very own Cunha

Slot definitely could have done with some more positive reinforcements in attack during a testing second 45 minutes, with Diogo Jota frustratingly firing blanks with just 20 touches of the ball, away from Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah sharing out the crucial strikes.

Not having Cody Gakpo at his disposal would have hurt the former Feyenoord boss, with the Dutch attacker really coming into his own this season under a fresh set of ideas in the dug-out.

In total, the impressive 25-year-old forward has amassed eight goals and three assists across 24 Premier League appearances, meaning he could well have come in handy in attempting to kill off a spirited Wolves side.

Delving deeper into his FBref numbers also shows off his similarities to the constantly captivating Cunha, who was even deemed a “top player” by ex-Reds great Jamie Carragher, after his sublime goal stunned the Liverpool masses into silence to give Pereira’s visitors somewhat of a foothold in the back-and-forth affair.

Stat – per 90 mins

Gakpo

Cunha

Shots

3.22

3.21

Shot-creating actions

4.60

3.44

Progressive passes

3.47

4.70

Progressive carries

2.96

3.71

Successful take-ons

1.74

2.06

Touches in attacking penalty area

5.82

4.40

Progressive passes received

11.38

5.85

Looking at the table above, it’s clear that both the Dutchman and the Brazilian are very similar players – as noted by FBref among those in the Premier League – in attack in terms of wanting to constantly be involved in matters up the pitch with constant shots peppering the opposition goal, alongside always wanting to advance play with a tricky dart forward.

Amazingly, Gakpo even betters Cunha when it comes to shots averaged per 90 minutes over the last year, on top of trumping him with shot-creating actions, meaning the 25-year-old might well have made his team’s win more comprehensive if he wasn’t injury-stricken.

The table-toppers will know they have struck gold with Gakpo’s signature, considering he is worth in the region of £50m now as per Transfermarkt, when he was once purchased for a more modest fee in and around the £35m mark.

Slot will be keeping everything crossed that Gakpo shrugs off his injury issues quickly to return back to the main team fold, with more nervy and tight games coming his team’s way not needed in the race to lift the Premier League title.

Liverpool must rue selling "legend" who outscored Diaz & Nunez in 2024

He’s one of Liverpool’s greatest modern players at Anfield.

1 ByAngus Sinclair Feb 15, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

Depois de sair na frente, o Avaí sofreu a virada jogando em casa neste domingo (3), diante do Cuiabá, em contexto de partida que foi lamentado na coletiva pelo técnico Eduardo Barroca.

RelacionadasBrasileirãoCuiabá faz ótimo 2º tempo e vira para cima do Avaí, na RessacadaBrasileirão03/07/2022BrasileirãoArthur Chaves se destaca entre atletas Sub-23 em primeira participação no BrasileirãoBrasileirão29/06/2022AvaíApós gol pelo Avaí sobre o Palmeiras, Jean Pyerre desabafa: ‘Todos nós temos nossas lutas’Avaí26/06/2022

>Apresentadora se desculpa após opinar sobre racismo de Piquet

A avaliação feita pelo comandante Azzurra é de que o desempenho obtido na etapa inicial não merecia o tento sofrido ainda no início do tempo complementar. Algo que, em sua análise, influenciou diretamente na forma como a partida foi conduzida.

-A gente fez um bom primeiro tempo, conseguiu ter a bola e o espaço territorial, conseguimos sair na frente e levar a vantagem para o intervalo. Sofremos um gol muito cedo, e depois desse gol, o jogo se desenhou muito para aquilo o que eles [Cuiabá] vieram fazer, que era jogar em cima dos espaços.

Sobre a briga entre o jovem zagueiro Arthur Chaves e o meio-campista Eduardo, o treinador não fez qualquer tipoi de relação entre o problema surgido e o tento ter saído logo na sequência. Para ele, a situação exibiu apenas uma natural situação de cobrança entre companheiros de equipe:

-Eu sinceramente não acho que aquilo não teve influência no gol porque o debate deles foi de um lance anterior. Futebol existe isso, existe cobrança.

Tournament to kick off in Dubai; final of UAE’s new T20 league likely to be on February 12

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Nov-2022The UAE’s new International League T20 (ILT20) is set to begin on January 13 in Dubai, with the final likely to be contested on February 12. The six-team ILT20 is expected to have 34 matches, with each team playing the others twice before four playoff matches.The tournament is set to clash entirely with South Africa’s new T20 league, the SA20, which has announced fixtures running from January 10 to February 11, 2023. Australia’s Big Bash League will also be on at the time – it starts in December and runs till February 4. The 2023 season of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), meanwhile, is set to begin on February 9, and the Bangladesh Premier League is also expected to be played somewhere in the same window.Related

MI Cape Town vs Paarl Royals to kickstart SA20 on January 10

PSL looks to expand salary caps to stay ahead in T20-league game

Russell, Moeen, Hasaranga among big-ticket sign-ons for ILT20

Moeen Ali tussle epitomises arms race as ILT20, SA20 compete

UAE T20 league sets $450,000 contract for top players

While all this adds up to huge competition to attract the best players and also broadcast audiences, the ILT20 will take comfort in the fact that it has a strong roster of players committed to the tournament, including Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Trent Boult, Alex Hales, Moeen Ali, Wanindu Hasaranga, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Sikandar Raza.Several of the ILT20 franchises are owned by Indian companies, including those that own the IPL’s Mumbai Indians, Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Capitals. The owners of Manchester United FC, Lancer Capital, are also on the list. The contracts of top players in the cash-rich league are expected to be in the region of USD 450,000 per season, making it the second-most lucrative T20 league behind the IPL.

Cole Palmer endured another frustrating afternoon as he struggled in Chelsea's narrow 1-0 win over Everton, extending his goal drought to 17 games.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Palmer hasn't scored since January
• Maresca blamed for over-coaching talented youngster
• Avoid repetition of the same words & topics

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Palmer's worrying form showed no signs of turning at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. The 21-year-old was regularly caught in possession, and failed to influence the game as Chelsea suffered through a laboured second-half performance.

Advertisement

• WHAT THE FANS ARE SAYING

  The watching public made their feelings about the display know on X. @TheKopWatch said: "Cole Palmer is getting the Jack Grealish treatment at Chelsea. He’s just an average robot now because he’s over coached. Modern football 😴"

  And user @leecarty8 posted: "Have we all been catfished a bit by Cole Palmer?"

  Another poster, @ElSaminou added: "Cole Palmer i don’t know what to tell him. Chelsea should probably sell him next season."

  @fullback03 said: "The Cole Palmer drop off is frightening. I think he might actually be holding chelsea back here. Slow, poor touches and can’t pick a pass either. What happened to him?"

  @CricketRea45554 questioned: "Is Cole Palmer a one season wonder? Still a good player obviously but no where near as good as some people will have you believe"

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Despite Palmer's struggles, Chelsea have laid down a marker for the other players in the race for Champions League qualification. Maresca's men made the most of their early kick-off jumping into fourth place.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• AFP
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR COLE PALMER?

  Despite his issues, you still wouldn't bet against Palmer popping up with a vital goal in the run-in. The Blues have maybe the hardest slate of games remaining, as they take on champions-elect Liverpool, as well as two tricky away trips to Newcastle and Nottingham Forest.