PSG sporting advisor Luis Campos has raved about Lamine Yamal, calling the Barcelona star "an excellent footballer".

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Campos hails 'excellent' YamalPSG linked with 17-year-old in the summerYamal starred for Spain at Euro 2024WHAT HAPPENED?

Yamal is the name on everyone's lips right now after starring for Spain en route to their Euro 2024 triumph. But it was even before his brilliant efforts in Germany that rumours emerged of PSG's interest in the winger, with reports that they were willing to pay €250 million (£211m) to sign him. Indeed, there are already fears within Barcelona that the youngster may soon lose control over his future.

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The Spaniard wouldn't be the first tricky winger to leave Catalonia for Paris, with Neymar famously making the switch for a world-record fee in 2017. The sky is the limit for Yamal and so Barcelona will have to be competitive if they want to keep their rising star, and Campos' comments suggest they will be monitoring his situation very closely in the coming years.

WHAT CAMPOS SAID

PSG's sporting advisor said, per AS: "If all the players who have been linked to PSG in the press were here, we would have five stars per position. And we only need two. Of course I like Lamine Yamal, but also Dembele, Barcola, Kang In-Lee, Marco Asensio, Goncalo Ramos… Fantastic players with enormous quality, let's not forget. PSG is very happy with the players it has in those positions. For my part, saying that Lamine Yamal is not a great player would be a huge mistake. He is an excellent footballer and I am very happy to see him play at the level he does."

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR YAMAL?

The transfer rumours will likely persist for some time. For now, Yamal's immediate focus will be on Barcelona and helping the table-topping Blaugrana continue their fine start to the season by beating Girona on Sunday.

MatériaMais Notícias

Nesta terça-feira (20) Londrina e Confiança fizeram um jogo sem grandes emoções no Estádio do Café. As melhores chances dos mandantes foram em cruzamentos e os visitantes chegaram com perigo com o estreante Tiago Reis. Mas ambos não conseguiram balançar as redes.

Com o resultado, as equipes permanecem na zona de rebaixamento da Série B, os sergipanos tem 10 pontos, enquanto isso, os paranaenses estão com nove na lanterna.

Tubarão melhor, Azulino mais perigoso

O Londrina começou com as rédeas da partida, com troca de passes no ataque, mas sem tanta profundidade. A melhor chance nos primeiros 15 minutos, foi de Tiago Reis, em chute de fora da área que não assustou o goleiro César.

Mais tarde, novamente os visitantes apareceram com ótima oportunidade. Daniel Penha cobrou falta na área e Serginho, livre, cabeceou para fora, com perigo. Logo depois, o Tubarão apareceu na frente com grande cabeceio de Tárik e defesa espetacular de Rafael Santos.

Aos 31′, Neto Berola apareceu na esquerda, foi para o meio e chutou bem, mas César interviu. Em suma, o duelo ficou sem grandes chances na reta final.Na reta final, Isaque teve uma boa oportunidade após cruzamento de Juba, mas em cima de César.

Jogo sem muitos perigos

Na segunda etapa, o duelo começou da mesma forma que terminou a primeira etapa. Sem grandes chances e com muitos cartões amarelos distribuídos. O Londrina tinha a posse de bola, mas não levava perigo. Enquanto isso, o Confiança também não projetava chegar ao ataque com perigo.

Um lance perigoso aconteceu somente aos 20 minutos, com Tiago Reis batendo falta colocado, bonito, mas César defendeu. Novamente, o camisa 9 dos visitantes chegou com perigo, após belo lance de Neto Berola, a bola sobrou para ele, que tirou muito do goleiro.

FICHA TÉCNICA DA PARTIDA
LONDRINA 0 x 0 CONFIANÇA
Local: Estádio do Café, Londrina-PR
Data/horário: 20 de julho de 2021, às 19h (horário de Brasília)
Árbitro:Elmo Alves Resende Cunha (GO)
Assistente 1:Edson Antonio de Sousa (GO)
Assistente 2:Tiago Gomes da Silva (GO)
Quarto árbitro:Luiz Alexandre Fernandes (PR)
Gols:
Cartões amarelos: Luiz Henrique, Lucas Costa, Dalton, Alisson Safira, Marcio Fernandes (técnico), Tárik, Wilker e Celsinho (Londrina), Victor Sallinas e Jhemerson (Confiança)

LONDRINA: César; Ricardo Luz, Marcondes, Lucas Costa e Luiz Henrique (Danilo 42’/2T); Tárik (Gabriel Furtado 42’/2T), Matheus Bianqui (Marcelo Freitas 20’/2T) e Celsinho. Douglas Santos (Junior Pirambu 20’/2T), Tiago Orobó (Felipe – Intervalo) e Alisson Safira. Técnico: Márcio Fernandes.

CONFIANÇA: Rafael Santos; Rafael Vila; Nirley e Victor Sallinas (Isaque 11’/2T); Luciano Juba. Bruno Sena, Serginho e Jhemerson; Neto Berola (Everton 37’/2T), Daniel Penha e Tiago Reis (Gustavo Ramos 28’/2T). Técnico: Rodrigo Santana.

When you are in a spot, you would bank on Jason Holder, wouldn’t you? One of the two best allrounders in Test cricket, along with Ben Stokes, Holder has shown most times the demeanour, maturity, understanding and skills – with ball and bat – to seize opportunities. He may not have done it as frequently as Stokes, but Holder shares a propensity to be the catalyst for his team’s Test victories.So on Sunday afternoon, West Indies were in a spot, thanks once again to Stuart Broad, who had resuscitated a flat-lining Test match with the second new ball. Wicketless in the morning, but surging through his second wind, he picked three key wickets in successive overs as West Indies were left needing another 18 runs to avoid the follow-on, with just Holder and Roston Chase the remaining specialist batsmen.Ten runs shy of the target, Holder faced Chris Woakes. Moments earlier, Stokes had walked off the field, holding his stomach. Holder took an off-stump guard to cover Woakes’ fourth-stump line. He knew it would be a good length, moving away. He did not need to play the ball. Yet he poked an easy catch to slip. Holder had created another turning point. This time for England.Still 21.4 overs overs remained in the evening. West Indies needed to eat into that allocation to deny England the upper hand with a full day’s play still left.West Indies were never meant to be this desperate. That pressure was England’s, at lunch and tea. Yet if Test cricket teaches you one thing, it is about having a positive mindset at all times. It’s about controlling the controllables and focusing on the plan. And if you ever lose the plot, even momentarily, it’s about getting it straight back on track.Broad showed that today. He and Stokes attempted to dry out the runs before tea as Shamarh Brooks and Chase were looking to cash in on a flat pitch, soft seam and a ball without shine.But as soon as Joe Root took the new ball, Broad corrected his lines, went over the wicket, pitched fuller, made use of the hard seam, at times wobbled it, planted doubts in the well-set minds of Brooks and others, and just like that, he put England back in the match.To think that Broad could do this without the usual chanting of the Old Trafford full house shows why he has remained a prized asset for England this decade. West Indies can learn a lot from Broad: he said he was hungry after being dropped in Southampton. Today that hunger showed.Shamarh Brooks takes evasive action•Getty Images

Stokes and Dom Sibley showed that same perseverance on the first two days when they batted with an over-my-dead-body attitude. Yeah, it was boring. But if it had not rained on Saturday, England would have realised the true worth of that huge partnership. Both batsmen were determined to convert the starts and make it big. Make it count.That pair were the only two of England’s top-six to reach 25 in the first innings, compared to five for West Indies. But between them they made 296 runs, while Windies’ top two run-makers – Brooks and Kraigg Brathwaite – made less than half of that, 143 runs.Yes, West Indies did have partnerships, but they did not prosper when it mattered the most. Brooks was their best batsman today, playing with control, command and using the wrists to flick and push shots into the wide gaps effortlessly. When Stokes tirelessly bent his back, banging in short-pitched deliveries, while aiming for the throat, Brooke ducked and weaved without breaking any sweat most times.He tamed the challenge of Dom Bess’s flat offbreaks by playing the spinner on the front foot for the most part, and rocking back to cut sharply for easy runs. But as soon Broad took the new ball, Brooks suddenly seemed reluctant to push forward with the same confidence. He had done so, as he later admitted, he would not have been trapped plumb lbw for 68.ALSO READ: Broad – England will sacrifice runs for victory chanceBrooks is 31 and is playing in his fifth Test. In 86 previous first-class matches, he has averaged 32, and in 146 innings he’s only faced 200 balls on six occasions, including his solitary Test century against Afghanistan last year.Long innings are not yet his forte. Nor are they the forte of Jermaine Blackwood or even Shai Hope, who has struggled to play for time in spite of his now fading memories at Headingley in 2017.A mindset to dig in for a long innings does not come naturally, however gifted a batsman is. It takes a lot of experience and hard work, allied with hunger and resolve. Not to mention skill.But West Indies’ batsmen will get a second chance on Monday. They may need to bat for close to 85 overs as Broad, Woakes, Curran and Stokes steam in with renewed energy to tie this Test series. Can Windies batsmen withstand the collective pressure, play time and then figure out whether to go for the kill by chasing down the target?Brian Lara did it consistently. Shivnarine Chanderpaul, too. They became greats because they could be trusted when the pressure was on.

Star allrounder plays down injury concerns after another showstopping performance

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Jul-2020Ben Stokes has moved to ease injury concerns after he pulled up in discomfort while bowling late in England’s second-Test victory, in which he played a starring role.Stokes stopped bowling after four deliveries of his 15th over in West Indies’ second innings, having claimed the wickets of key batsman Jermaine Blackwood and tailender Alzarri Joseph, the latter putting England within one wicket of victory.”I’m fine,” Stokes told Sky Sports after England had won the match by 113 runs to level the series 1-1. “Just the body started to get quite stiff. I said to Broady, ‘the body’s starting to stiffen up, what do you reckon?’ and he said, ‘just stop’.ALSO READ: England surge to victory as Stokes turns on style again”Three or four years ago against Pakistan I had the same thing and I ended up blowing my calf so I didn’t want to take that risk.”Despite bowling an 11-over spell in West Indies’ second innings, on the final day of a Test in which he had also scored a patient century and bludgeoned a fifty, Stokes rejected suggestions too much had been asked of him with the ball.”Absolutely not,” Stokes said. “Obviously, I’ll give everything to the team, whatever is asked of me. We sort of found a method within our attack to change things up when things are looking a bit dry to go to that type of bowling or being aggressive in setting the field.”Not only does it give us a wicket-taking option. It also dries it up because we feel the batsmen don’t have really anywhere to go. So, you know, once you get past that five-, six-over mark you sort of feel like you’re fresh as anything you keep going in. But I’ll always do whatever’s asked of me.”Having scored 176 from 356 balls in England’s first innings, then 78 from 57 in the second, Stokes also broke up key partnerships with the wicket of Kraigg Brathwaite in the fist innings and then Blackwood’s in the second.Ben Stokes walks off with a stump after his Man of the Match performance•Getty Images

Asked about his contrasting performances with the bat, he couldn’t pick a favourite, but he took pride in batting long for his century while clearly enjoying captain Joe Root’s intent in sending him to open for the first time in a Test alongside fellow big-hitter Jos Buttler as England chased quick second-innings runs, a decision he said came after “a few conversations”.”Obviously Joe has the final call and that’s what he decided to go with, so it was a real positive move, I thought,” Stokes said. “It’s no good for us walk away with this game with a draw and so Joe made a real positive effort to get me get me and Jos up the order.”Looking at the scoreboard seeing 300 balls bowled feels a bit weird,” he added of his first innings, “but it had to be done.”Root, also speaking to Sky Sports, said Stokes’ starring role in the match was not the least bit surprising.”It doesn’t surprise me, you watch how he goes about his business, whether it be in practice his fitness, everything,” Root said. “He leads the way in many, many respects and he seems to want to keep getting better and better.”And we’re seeing those results out in the field as well, which is great for a lot of the younger guys coming through to see that you’ve got to put the hard yards in. He certainly does that and, you know, we’re starting to see that feed into the rest of the team, which is a great place to be.”

أصدر نادي إيبسويتش المنافس في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز بيانًا رسميًا بشأن رفض قائد الفريق الأول لكرة القدم، سام مرسي، ارتداء شارة المثليين في الجولة الثالثة عشر.

وتخصص رابطة الدوري الإنجليزي الجولة الثالثة عشر من البطولة لدعم تلك الفئة من خلال ارتداء قادة الأندية شارة بها الألوان المعبرة عن المثليين.

ولكن المفاجأة هي عدم ظهور سام مرسي بالشارة المطلوبة من قادة الفرق، بل ظهر بالشارة العادية لقيادة فريق إيبسويتش في مباراة نوتينجهام فورست السابقة في الدوري الإنجليزي.

ولذلك قرر نادي إيبسويتش تاون إصدار بيان رسمي للرد على رفض سام مرسي ارتداء الشارة وهو ما أحدث جدلًا واسعًا للغاية في إنجلترا.

اقرأ أيضًا.. تقييم سام مرسي بعد خسارة إيبسويتش تاون أمام نوتينجهام فورست في الدوري الإنجليزي

وجاء البيان من خلال صحيفة “ميرور” البريطانية كالتالي: “يلتزم نادي إيبسويتش تاون لكرة القدم بأن يكون ناديًا شاملًا يرحب بالجميع، نحن ندعم حملة المثليين في الدوري الإنجليزي ونقف مع هذا المجتمع في تعزيز المساواة والقبول”.

وتابع: “خلال حملة هذا العام، زار أعضاء الفريق الأول للرجال والنساء في النادي جلسة لهذه الفئة لمؤسستنا، بينما قدم النادي أيضًا تعهدًا مشتركًا بالتضامن والشمول جنبًا إلى جنب مع نوتينجهام فورست قبل مباراة السبت الماضي”.

واستمر: “تم التخطيط لمجموعة من المبادرات الإضافية بشأن دعم فئة المثليين وأولها في مباراة كريستال بالاس في ملعبنا بورتمان رود”.

وأتم: “وفي الوقت نفسه، فإننا نحترم قرار قائدنا، سام مرسي، الذي اختار عدم ارتداء شارة القيادة التي تحمل شعار المثليين، بسبب معتقداته الدينية، وسنواصل العمل على تهيئة بيئة تحظي فيها كل العناصر بالتقدير والاحترام، سواء داخل الملعب أو خارجه”.

How to define Tottenham Hotspur's infuriating defeat against arch-rivals Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon? How to define Ange Postecoglou's first campaign at the helm after replacing Antonio Conte at the struggling London club last summer?

Tottenham's narrative is complex and multi-layered, with more depth required than a perfunctory glance at the slide from the fantastic early-season, table-topping form and subsequent inconsistency that has left Champions League qualification dangling by a thread in the final phase of the campaign.

Without question, there is much scope for growth at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but there is also a vast stretch of land between the current crop and the coveted location at the forefront of domestic and continental football.

Maybe Tottenham will fail in their bid for a place among Europe's elite next year, maybe that's okay. Of course, there's still every chance that Spurs will prevail against Chelsea, against Liverpool, against Manchester City, it's just a tough run to close the campaign.

One of the chief reasons behind the dip in form, or rather the failure to emulate that early-stage brilliance, has been the struggles of James Maddison, who was so influential in his creative performances early on, transferring from relegated Leicester City for a £40m fee last summer.

James Maddison's season in numbers

What better way to start off your journey at a new club than by earning the Premier League's Player of the Month award for August? Thus Maddison had set the tone under Postecoglou, emphatic in lifting the north London side after a terrible 2022/23 campaign that culminated in the sale of Harry Kane.

But an ankle injury suffered against Chelsea in November has kept the 27-year-old away from his finest football ever since, slashing a detrimental blow through the verve that had left Lilywhites supporters giddy.

As per FBref, the Three Lions star ranks among the top 9% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 6% for passes attempted and the top 1% for progressive passes and shot-creating actions per 90 – evidence, surely, of an elite-level playmaker.

But there's no denying that Maddison has failed to reclaim that blistering pre-injury form that had left the Premier League in a frenzy, with his 3/10 match rating – by football.london – in Spurs' recent loss against the Gunners emblematic of the bitter lapse that sent Spurs' season into a spin.

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While Dejan Kulusevski, Brennan Johnson and co have strengths in their wide play, Gareth Bale would have been the ultimate partner for Maddison to fire himself back into his finest form, even more so than had Kane remained at the outfit last summer.

Why Spurs signed Gareth Bale

After a promising start to life on the professional scene with Southampton, scoring five goals and supplying 12 assists across 45 matches as a teenage full-back in the Championship, Bale captured the attention of Premier League heavy-hitters Manchester United and Tottenham, with the latter winning the race and signing the 17-year-old for an initial £5m in May 2007.

Incredibly, Bale proved to have something of a penchant for disaster and failed to win any of his opening 24 matches for Spurs, though he put this ill-fortuned reputation behind him and forged a pathway to the top of the game, shifting to a forward-placed role after his supreme athletic ability and blooming deadliness in front of goal become clear.

Across 237 appearances over two spells with Tottenham, the Wales phenomenon posted 72 goals and 57 assists and established himself as one of the finest forwards in Europe, with his final campaign during his first spell – in 2012/13 – securing a return of 26 goals and 14 assists from 41 matches in all competitions.

21/22

20

11

2

12/13

33

21

8

11/12

36

10

13

10/11

30

7

2

09/10

23

3

5

08/09

16

0

0

07/08

8

2

1

The 34-year-old, now retired, improved with each passing campaign and won the PFA Player of the Year during that last, pre-Spain season in London.

Hailed as "unbelievable" and a "super talent" by Andre Villas-Boas back in 2013, the 111-cap international indeed went from strength to strength at Tottenham and dazzled, through his incredible Champions League performances against reigning champions Inter Milan in 2010/11, his ridiculous rate of prolific form, his frightening pace and power.

Bale has etched his name into Tottenham's halls eternally and while he left when a certain Spanish club came calling, he is remembered as a modern legend down at N17, where he cut his teeth and became one of the standout stars of his generation.

Why Spurs sold Gareth Bale

Tottenham sold Bale to Real Madrid in 2013 for a world-record £85m fee, eclipsing the previous record that saw Los Blancos bring Cristiano Ronaldo to the Spanish capital from Manchester United in 2009, making a jaw-dropping 750% profit on the one-time outlay that Daniel Levy granted to bring the teenage talent to the side.

It was a staggering transfer but not without full merit, with the Welshman proving his worth as one of Europe's best with his performances at Tottenham and fully deserving a shot at Real, one of the most prestigious and illustrious outfits in the world.

Reports suggested that Manchester United were hellbent on signing Bale after that initial failure to land their man, way back when, though Spurs supporters' pains were spared when he headed overseas, a move that proved auspicious for him.

Having retired at a relatively early age, Bale can rest with a stunning trophy cabinet at Real Madrid that saw him plunder five Champions League titles, three La Liga trophies and one Copa del Rey, among a host of other honours.

European football expert Zach Lowy outlined the facets that have left this wonderful star a true sensation of his time, saying: "Gareth Bale took Wales to the Euros semifinals, took Real Madrid from zero Champions Leagues in 11 years to five Champions Leagues in 8 years, and has just taken Wales to their first World Cup in 64 years. Legend of the game."

While Tottenham's erstwhile maverick didn't enjoy his trophy-laden days at the club, he is truly one of the greatest to play the game, and would be the standout among the current crop, enhancing the games of his peers considerably.

Market Movers

Football FanCast's Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club's star player or biggest flop worth today?

Newcastle United missed out on the signing of Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi this summer, and could now face competition from Manchester City.

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• Guehi under Palace contract till 2026
• Defender not looking to extend contract
• Man City may try to sign for free

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Guehi had been heavily linked with an exit from Crystal Palace this summer as Newcastle United held an intense interest in the 24-year-old centre-back. The Magpies submitted four official bids for the defender but the Eagles remained adamant on their asking price, and rejected all four before Newcastle accepted defeat.

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  Guehi's current contract with Crystal Palace will come to an end in the summer of 2026, and as such, the Eagles are looking to offer the 24-year-old a new contract that would also see a major bump in wages. However, the Daily Mail has suggested that Guehi is not keen on extending his contract and could look to leave the club for free in 2026. As such, Manchester City are now keeping an eye on the centre-back's situation and could look to sign him on a free deal.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Due to Guehi's apparent disinterest towards signing a contract extension at Selhurst Park, the report has suggested that Crystal Palace now have two options in front of them: try to convince the 24-year-old to sign an extension, or sell him in the next two transfer windows at a cut-price.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR GUEHI?

  The centre-back is currently with the England national team and will likely be a starter for interim boss Lee Carsley's first two games in charge of the Three Lions.

As much as the television broadcasters try to drum up some late dramatics, there is an air of inevitability to the fact that Arsenal will likely be trumped by Manchester City in the race for the Premier League title.

Alas, this has still been a fabulous season for the Gunners. Mikel Arteta has taken his merry reds to a Champions League quarter-finals and unlike the back end of 2022/23, there hasn't been a torrid collapse.

Still, they may well be forced to rue a late defeat to Aston Villa a couple of weeks ago come May 19th, the final day of the season.

If they do lose out on the title, heads can still be held high and with a transfer window just around the corner, there is a chance to bolster the squad ahead of another challenge next term.

So, who could walk through the doors of the Emirates Stadium? It's expected a striker could be on the cards.

Arsenal's plans for the summer

Reports last week suggested that Arsenal would potentially be open to selling Gabriel Jesus in the summer if appropriate bids came in.

It's been a troubled second campaign in London for the Brazilian who has found the net just four times in Premier League action. Torrid indeed.

Therefore, rumours of a shiny new centre-forward have dominated the rumour mill in recent weeks. One option could be Stuttgart's Serhou Guirassy.

That's according to Caught Offside who report this weekend that a number of sides, including Manchester United and Newcastle, are admirers of the 28-year-old striker.

Bayern, Dortmund, Atletico and Milan are fellow interested parties. That said, there is a belief that the Guinea international would prefer a move to a Premier League side who will play in the Champions League. That would put Arsenal in pole position should they decide to make a move in a few months.

How Guirassy would fit into the Arsenal side

No team in the top-flight has scored more than Arsenal's 88 goals this term. The idea they require a striker, therefore, is a rather remarkable one.

However, there have been notable moments where they have struggled in the penalty area. During a run of four games across the Christmas period they were guilty of wasting plenty of gilt-edged opportunities.

That was notably the case in a 1-1 draw with Liverpool where Arteta's men spurned chance after chance. They then only scored once over three matches with West Ham, Fulham and Liverpool again, this time in the FA Cup.

Since then, they have found a solution, surprisingly in the form of Kai Havertz, a man who has scored seven goals and registered six assists during 16 outings as a centre forward.

Still, he only has 12 to his name in the league and a more traditional striker must be sourced. In Guirassy, they could find their answer.

As one scout put it, the forward has been in "insane" touch this season, finding the net on 27 occasions in 28 outings. With 25 of those coming in 26 Bundesliga matches, he really is one of the best in his position on the planet right now.

The Stuttgart star is in some pretty fine company in Europe this season with those numbers far eclipsing those at Arsenal.

Bukayo Saka is currently the club's top goalscorer this season in all competitions with 20 but has 16 in the league. It's been an incredible campaign for the Englishman but both he and those around him would no doubt benefit from a natural goalscorer.

Martin Odegaard could be one that feels the true benefits. He has eight assists to his name in 2023/24 but truth be told, it should be far more.

His expected assist total in the league sits at 10.55 and he has created 94 chances, only second to Bruno Fernandes (108) in the Premier League. The skipper has been on another level and has shown as much in recent weeks.

In the 5-0 rout of Chelsea a few weeks ago, the Norwegian created eight chances from open play. That happened to be the most by an Arsenal player in a league game since Mesut Ozil in October 2017 against Everton. Remarkable stuff.

Thus, if anyone deserves the chance to play alongside an elite striker, it's Odegaard. Perhaps Guirassy isn't mentioned in that breath quite yet but it's evident he can score goals and would surely elevate the club's attacking play.

Courtesy of Odegaard and Co, Arsenal already fashion chances at will but despite their incredible record in front of goal, there is room for improvement. The addition of a centre forward such as Guirassy would certainly help with that.

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May 2, 2024

Babar Azam’s Team White close first day of the intra-squad game at 231/8 against Azhar Ali’s Team Green

ECB Reporters Network 18-Jul-2020Pakistan’s fast bowlers fired a warning ahead of their exchanges against England on the opening day of an intra-squad warm-up match at Incora County Ground in Derby. Naseem Shah, who at 16 became the youngest to take a Test hat-trick earlier this year, and Mohammad Abbas shared six wickets for Team Green, led by Test captain Azhar Ali, against Babar Azam’s Team White, who closed on 231 for 8.Shan Masood top-scored with 42 and Mohammad Rizwan was unbeaten on 41, but Babar made only 12 on a day when Naseem’s youthful promise shone as brightly as the July sunshine.The 17-year-old has been tipped as a future star and it is not hard to see why on the evidence of this performance. Operating off a short run, he generated considerable pace on a slow pitch and troubled all the batsmen, although he had to wait until after lunch for his rewards.Frustration best summed up his morning as he twice appealed imploringly to umpire Steve O’Shaughnessy for lbws against Masood, who, with Imam-ul-Haq, was forced to concentrate on survival in a first hour which brought only 33 runs.Both became more expansive after that, although Masood was missed off a sharp chance to first slip on 23. But at lunch, Babar’s decision to bat was vindicated with his team 86 without loss.The balance shifted in the afternoon as first Abbas and then Naseem worked through the top order before Yasir Shah’s legspin snared two teammates in the evening session.Only six runs had been added when Abbas, who was to have joined Nottinghamshire this year before his contract was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, had Masood caught at second slip, and although Haider Ali drove Abbas for a huge six onto the media centre, he became the second of Naseem’s victims.Earlier, by pitching the ball up and concentrating on off stump, Naseem allowed little margin for error and when he found enough movement to defeat Imam’s half-forward push, Martin Saggers upheld his appeal. Babar edged his first ball narrowly past leg stump but Naseem was celebrating again when Haider was taken low at second slip.Fawad Alam, adopting a Shivnarine Chanderpaul-like stance, never looked convincing and needed treatment and a new helmet after he was clattered by a skiddy Naseem bouncer.But it was Babar who went just before tea when Iftikhar Ahmed grabbed a smart catch at first slip and Fawad dragged Yasir to wide mid-on.Naseem lured Shadab Khan into pulling a short ball to deep backward square and after Yasir had Sohail Khan lbw, Abbas returned to have Shaheen Shah Afridi caught at third slip. That brought in Kashif Bhatti, only restored to the squad yesterday after a precautionary period of self-isolation, and he announced his return by driving the last ball of the day from Yasir for six.

Aston Villa's trundling finish to the finish line of a fantastic campaign saw fresh life when John Duran salvaged a Premier League point against Liverpool in one late fell swoop.

Well, technically, it was two. The Colombian is earning quite the reputation as Unai Emery's conjurer of chaos and this was demonstrated when his off-the-bench brace ensured that Tottenham Hotspur must secure victory in both of their final games to pip Villa to a top-four spot.

Should this eventuality occur, even then Ange Postecoglou's side will be reliant on Villa failing win against Crystal Palace and a sizeable swing in goal difference. In short: Aston Villa are in a commanding position heading into Sunday's fixture at Selhurst Park.

Villa's ability to return from a forlorn position bears testament to the work that Emery has done in the Midlands, but it wouldn't have been possible without the workhorse that is John McGinn.

John McGinn's performance vs Liverpool

McGinn has been one of Emery's most important players this season, with The Athletic's Gregg Evans even remarking that he "cannot be replaced", so distinctive is his quality and presence of character.

Against Liverpool, he was handed an 8/10 match rating by Birmingham Live's John Townley after a tireless display, with the reporter writing: 'McGinn had nothing left in the tank come full-time. He covered every blade of grass on the night.'

As per Sofascore, the 29-year-old completed the full 90 minutes, taking 54 touches, completing 90% of his passes, making two key passes, winning a whopping eight duels and succeeding with four of his five attempted dribbles. He truly is irreplaceable.

The Athletic's Jacob Tanswell even noted that he was "like a man possessed" charged at Liverpool's backline, rallied against the late two-goal deficit and galvanised his team into action.

Duran might have been the goalscoring show-stealer but McGinn was the architect of the success, producing heroics that have been on display so often this season, propelling Aston Villa to a new level entirely – a level that was only a drifting dream before Emery arrived and rewrote the script.

His effort against Liverpool was simply a reflection of the work he has put in throughout the campaign, and if the Lions do secure a spot among Europe's elite next season, he will unquestionably be one of the most integral and influential members to have contributed.

John McGinn's season in numbers

McGinn has been a key figure at Villa Park this season, playing in 52 fixtures in all competitions, scoring nine goals and supplying seven assists for his teammates.

But his goal contributions are not the true measure of his success, and his quality. As per FBref, McGinn ranks among the top 10% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals scored and the top 4% for successful take-ons per 90, emphasising his thoroughbred power and tenacity.

1.

Ezri Konsa

4,282

2.

Douglas Luiz

4,262

3.

OIlie Watkins

4,253

4.

John McGinn

4,226

5.

Emiliano Martinez

4,170

But he's much more, a complete and commanding figure, so important within the system. He is the fourth-most used player at Aston Villa this season but none of his peers can match his indefatigable running, his unwavering drive toward a goal.

He's created ten big chances in the Premier League this season. He's averaged 1.3 key passes, 1.6 dribbles, 1.7 tackles and 4.7 ball recoveries per game. He wins more duels per game (5.5) than Douglas Luiz (4.3), and his seasonal heat map is a thing to behold – every blade indeed.

McGinn is quite the player, and his performances for his high-flying side have cemented his legacy among the modern greats of his incredible football club.

Aston Villa must axe 6/10 star who nearly jeopardised their UCL hopes

Aston Villa scored two late goals to secure a share of the spoils against Liverpool

ByRoss Kilvington May 14, 2024