Category Uncategorized

Recent ups and downs in form have turned him into a different kind of player

Karthik Krishnaswamy16-Jul-20231:16

Dasgupta on Kohli: Very good innings on a difficult pitch

Virat Kohli has played every kind of cover drive you could think of. The front-foot cover drive, the back-foot cover drive, the step-out-and-step-away inside-out cover drive. The cover drive to the left of the cover fielder, the cover drive to his right. The straight-bat, punchy cover drive, the bottom-handed topspin cover drive with twirly flourish. The middled cover drive, the edged cover drive.It took until his 110th Test match, however, for Kohli to play a cover drive followed by a punch-the-air celebration when he hadn’t brought up 50, 100 or multiples thereof.Kohli celebrating a milestone, however. He had just hit the first boundary of his innings, off the 81st ball he had faced.It was that kind of innings. The pitch for the first West Indies-India Test in Dominica was a slow turner with a bit of bounce for the spinners, ingredients that limited batters’ ability to drive the ball unless it was pitched right up, or use the bowlers’ pace to score their runs.And so it was that Kohli took 81 balls to hit his first boundary, another 43 to hit his second, and another 36 to hit his third, by which time he had already passed 50.It was far from Kohli’s most fluent innings, and there were slices of luck along the way – two dropped chances on 40 and 72, and a missed run-out chance on 45 – but he was doing what he needed to do. India were looking to bat once and bat big after bowling West Indies out for 150 on the first day, and he was helping them do just that. He was happy to bat time, grind out his runs, and pump his fists whenever a boundary happened to come along.Related

Secret to Kohli's longevity? 'A lot of hard work and sacrifices,' says Dravid

Two Ashwin wickets, and what they say about his craft

A broad grin accompanied these boundary celebrations, suggesting both that he was enjoying his struggle and aware of how mortal it was making him look. Great batters don’t score runs only when every ball is pinging off the sweet spot; they often place greater value on the times they had to fight their own lack of fluency but scored runs nonetheless. They love waging heroic battles against the greatest bowlers on difficult pitches, and they also love days when they are themselves their stiffest opponents.The most remarkable thing about Sachin Tendulkar’s 241 not-out in Sydney wasn’t so much that he shelved his cover drive but the fact that he shelved it on one of the flattest pitches he ever batted on, against a middling Australia attack. It takes a lot for one of the greatest batters of all time to acknowledge that he wasn’t playing one of his bread-and-butter shots well enough to use it even in those circumstances.Virat Kohli took 81 balls to score his first boundary in the first Test against West Indies•AFP via Getty ImagesOver recent months and years, some of Kohli’s longest Test innings have featured this sort of self-denial: for instance the 79 in Cape Town, which featured one of the highest leave percentages of any Test innings in recent times, and the 186 in Ahmedabad, where he went 122 balls before hitting his first boundary of day four. He’s been happy to pare his game down to its most prosaic components when required to, almost revelling in the setting aside of his ego.But sometimes it’s felt different from the kind of situation-specific curtailing of shots that Tendulkar would perform every now and then. With Kohli over recent seasons, it feels like something may have changed in his game, perhaps even irrevocably.Until the end of 2019, Kohli scored his Test runs at a strike rate of 57.81. Since the start of 2020, he’s gone at 44.43.This, of course, is partly an effect of his diminished returns in this period – he has only averaged 30.75 in the pandemic and post-pandemic eras – and partly an effect of the quality of attacks he’s faced and the bowling-friendly nature of the pitches he’s batted on. Kohli has been far from alone among India’s batters in seeing his average and strike rate drop significantly since the turn of the decade.The difference with Kohli, however, is that when he had scored runs against quality attacks in testing conditions in the pre-pandemic period, he had often done so at a significant clip. Take three celebrated innings from 2018: the 153 in Centurion came at a strike rate of 70.50, his 149 in Birmingham at 66.22, and his 97 in Nottingham at 63.81.It isn’t easy to say why Kohli has slowed down to the extent he has, post-2020. The fundamentals of his game don’t seem to have changed to any great extent, but his limitations may be hampering him now in a way they didn’t in his prime. These limitations have always been evident. He’s a superb puller, for instance, but he’s never had much of a back-foot repertoire on the off side; against spin he only rarely sweeps or hits over the top or uses his feet to get down the pitch. In Dominica, for instance, he didn’t sweep or use his feet even though he faced a lot of bowling from West Indies’ part-time spinners.It could be that his eye isn’t quite what it used to be, and he isn’t hitting his go-to shots in quite the ruthless way he used to. Or it could be that bowlers are denying him his go-to shots more successfully now than they used to.Whatever the reasons may be, Kohli hasn’t changed his game or added new shots to his repertoire. And by not changing his game, Kohli has paradoxically turned into a different kind of player. He scores his runs slower now, and perhaps with less certainty than before, though he seems to be over the worst of his lean run – he averages 48.44 this year, compared to 26.20 in the 2020-22 period. What hasn’t changed, as Dominica showed, is how much he relishes a scrap – even if his fiercest opponent happens to be himself.

Juventus have lined up midfielder Matt O’Riley as they appear to have lost hope of signing either Sandro Tonali and Morten Hjumland.

O'Riley and Bissouma alternativesBissouma rules out MolinaBrighton ready to accept loan with obligationFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

According to , Juventus have turned to Brighton’s O’Riley and Tottenham’s Yves Bissouma as alternatives after moves for Tonali and Hjumland fell through. Brighton, who signed O’Riley from Celtic in 2024 for €30 million (£25m/$35m), are open to a loan deal with an obligation to buy.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Juventus aim to strengthen their midfield around Italian star Manuel Locatelli. Their top target was Sporting CP’s Hjulmand, but after losing Viktor Gyokeres, the Portuguese side are refused to sell their captain unless his €80m (£68m/$92m) release clause is met. Juventus then shifted focus to Italy and Newcastle midfielder Tonali, proposing a player swap deal involving striker Dusan Vlahovic, which Newcastle rejected.

TELL ME MORE

If Juventus move for Bissouma, it would rule out signing Atletico Madrid’s Nahuel Molina, as both are non-EU players and only one slot remains after the arrival of Canadian striker Jonathan David.

AFPWHAT NEXT FOR O'RILEY AND JUVENTUS ?

Juventus will hope to secure O’Riley as the transfer market heats up and the new season approaches. Juve will take on Parma in their first Serie A match on August 24.

Tristan Stubbs’ coming-of-age season continued as he batted South Africa to a series-levelling win over India at St George’s Park. Stubbs rescued South Africa from 66 for 6 and shared in a 42-run stand off 20 balls with Gerald Coetzee to end India’s winning streak in T20Is, which extended back 11 matches. In the last month, Stubbs has scored his first Test and ODI centuries and though his 47* in Gqeberha will not go down as a milestone, it was an innings of maturity that turned things around for a struggling South African side.Since reaching the T20 World Cup final in June, South Africa had played six matches before today and won only one. They appeared to lack a certain structure to their game, which showed glimpses of returning when they put together a complete performance in the field and kept India to 124. The fast bowlers set the tone upfront before the spinners put on a squeeze and all but Keshav Maharaj were among the wickets. Importantly, they removed India’s top three early, and for a combined total of eight runs, and their middle-order had to play catch up. A 37-run stand between Hardik Pandya and Arshdeep Singh for the seventh wicket was the only time India’s scoring rate went above six an over.Given the target, South Africa may have thought the win would come easily but they were made to work for it. Varun Chakravarthy’s first international five-for left them reeling while captain Aiden Markam’s poor form remains a concern. It has been 26 innings since he last scored a T20I half-century. South Africa were kept quiet by India’s spinners and as wickets fell, the required run-rate climbed to the point where they needed 40 off the last five overs. Stubbs held his nerve, Coetzee showed his batting prowess and South Africa got home with an over to spare.Gerald Coetzee – the batter Coetzee was put on a 12-week conditioning break to work on his bowling, but it seems as though he’s paid as much attention to his batting. After an 11-ball 23 at Kingsmead, with the game all but lost, Coetzee came in with everything at stake at St George’s Park. South Africa were 86 for 7 and needed 39 runs in 26 balls. He was off the mark with a single and that was all the sighting he needed. He dispatched the next ball he faced, a full delivery from Arshdeep Singh, over long-off to relieve the pressure. Stubbs ended the 17th over with a stunning drive through the covers which left South Africa needing 25 runs from 18 balls. Coetzee got that down to 17 off 16 balls with back-to-back boundaries off Avesh Khan, who erred in length. South Africa scored 12 runs off the 18th over and needed 13 off the last 12 balls to level the series.Varun confounds South Africa South Africa insist they have made progress in their batting against spin but then someone like Varun comes along and it doesn’t seem that way. He followed up a career-best in Durban with another in Gqeberha and made India’s modest total appear much bigger than it was. His second ball was a slow googly that Markram, struggling for form, did not pick. Markram slogged, missed and was bowled. The same delivery did Reeza Hendricks in in the next over. Hendricks had just hit Varun for four and was foxed by the wrong ‘un as he played for turn away and was bowled. Then, he changed ends and was equally dangerous from the other side. In his third over, Marco Jansen had no idea what to do against the googly but it was the final over where Varun all but ended South Africa’s hopes. Heinrich Klaasen tried to take him on and could only find long-off and with his next ball, Varun bowled David Miller to claim his five-for.Varun Chakravarthy removed Marco Jansen for 7 on his way to a five-for•AFP/Getty Images

South Africa’s sensational bowling start Cricket has its way of humbling humans and it did to Sanju Samson, who was bowled off the third ball of the innings for a duck, after back-to-back hundreds in his last two matches. The delivery was impressive as Jansen got the ball to seam and then swing but Samson moved too early to give himself room and may have been in a better place to keep it out if he had remained in line. Jansen’s first over was scoreless and South Africa had set the tone. Four balls later, Coetzee and umpire Lubabalo Gcume thought Abhishek Sharma gloved him down the leg side but an immediate review proved otherwise. Coetzee had the last laugh when Abhishek top-edged him to Jansen at short fine. But the moment of the powerplay came when Andile Simelane, who was wicketless on debut in Durban, seared in a yorker to Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav to get his first international wicket. Suryakumar tried to flick it away but was beaten for pace and hit on the pad and did not even bother to review. India were 15 for 3 after four overs and recovered to 34 for 3 after the powerplay. David Miller’s wonder catch Tilak Varma smashed Markram towards cover. The ball rocketed towards Miller who moved to his right, reached overhead and plucked it out of the Gqeberha. Tilak stood open-mouthed and stared at Miller in disbelief. At the stands, the spectators’ eyes were the size of saucers. The commentators struggled to get the words out.’Oh, my, word’, was the overall sentiment as India slumped to 45 for 4. South Africa stayed sharp in the field and legspinner Nqaba Peter reacted quickly when Hardik drove the ball to him at the end of his second over. Peter got a touch as the ball deflected onto the non-striker’s stumps and Axar Patel was run out. Hardik hits out Hardik scored 19 runs off the first 29 balls he faced and only found the boundary off the 28th as South Africa dried up India’s run-scoring opportunities. The middle overs were heavy going as India scored 24 runs in five overs and went 35 deliveries without scoring a boundary. Finally, in the 18th over, Hardik found his touch. Jansen was brought back on after his first two overs cost only five runs and Hardik immediately punched them through the covers for four. Two balls later, he got under a wider delivery and hit it over extra cover for six and then closed out the over with a ramp shot off a short ball for India’s most profitable over.

Archie Vaughan and Kesh Fonseka add important runs as spinners loom as key fourth-innings weapon

ECB Reporters Network28-Jan-2025
Thomas Rew’s run-a-ball 71 helped England Men U19s to take a 255-run lead into the final day of the first Youth Test against South Africa Men U19s in Stellenbosch.Leg-spinner Chad Mason claimed four for 97 – his 26 overs more than double than any of his team-mates – as the Young Lions reached the close at 275 for eight.Captain Archie Vaughan (44) and Kesh Fonseka (43) made key contributions at the top of the order while Jack Home was unbeaten on 34 and primarily tasked with extending his side’s lead in the morning.South Africa added a handy 50 runs for the final two wickets this morning to be bowled out for 319 and a lead of 20 runs.

Farhan Ahmed finished with innings-best figures of four for 78 and his spin partnership with Tazeem Ali and Vaughan looms as important on the final day.Mason was the mainstay of the home attack today and after he made the initial breakthrough of Ben Dawkins (33), well caught by Muhammad Bulbulia at first slip, he also got the key wicket of Rew who had counter-attacked to reach his half-century from 54 balls.

The USA batter is the fourth man to hit six sixes in an over in international cricket, after Gibbs, Yuvraj and Pollard

Daya Sagar11-Sep-2021As you would expect after equalling an international record previously achieved only by Herschelle Gibbs, Yuvraj Singh and Kieron Pollard, there are 4000-5000 unread WhatsApp messages on Jaskaran Malhotra’s phone. One of the first to congratulate Malhotra after he hit six sixes in an over for USA against Papua New Guinea was Pollard, who was also his captain at St Lucia Stars during the 2018 edition of the CPL.Like his more famous colleagues at the Stars from that year, like David Warner, Daren Sammy and Lendl Simmons, 31-year-old Malhotra aspires to play in the IPL one day, his early ambition of turning out for India having come to nothing. That said, there is pride and satisfaction of being a part of an improving USA outfit.Related

• USA to host Ireland in first home series against Full Member

• Monank Patel replaces Saurabh Netravalkar as USA T20I captain

• Barry Ganese smacks six sixes off an over

• Six sixes in an over

• Thisara Perera smashes six sixes in an over

“It’s quite amazing, really. I had not planned on any such thing when I went in to bat,” Malhotra told ESPNcricinfo about his innings of 173* (in 124 balls, with four fours and 16 sixes), also the first ODI century in men’s cricket for USA. “I entered the field with our team in a spot of bother, having lost three wickets for 29 inside the first ten overs. My first target was to just stay till the end. As the innings progressed, I got the confidence to play my shots.”In the final over (bowled by the unfortunate Gaudi Toka), once I was able to hit four sixes, that’s when the thought of six sixes first came in. I am grateful that I was able to equal this record.”Of the six sixes, which took USA to 271 for 9 and a 134-run win, Malhotra picked out the second as his best, having gone inside-out over cover. Shades of the third one Yuvraj had hit off Stuart Broad back in that 2007 T20 World Cup game there.And though there has been a surfeit of messages and calls since September 9, the one Malhotra has been waiting for hasn’t. “I know Yuvi (Yuvraj) will also be calling me soon. I am eagerly looking forward to that.”It’s a long way, that international fixture – his 13th across ODIs and T20Is – in Al Amerat from his formative years playing in Himachal Pradesh.”I captained Himachal Pradesh at Under-15 and Under-17 levels. I was also the most prolific domestic wicketkeeper-batter at Under-17 level. In fact, I was rewarded with a place among the 20 probables for the Under-19 World Cup in 2008, and was part of the NCA camp,” Malhotra said. “Unfortunately, I couldn’t make the final 16, which won the tournament under Virat Kohli.”Malhotra did, however, find a place in the Himachal Pradesh senior team, but never got a look-in at the first-class level. A chance encounter with cricket in the USA came after the 2010 domestic season in India, when he was visiting a relative in America, ended up playing in a local tournament while there, and did well.After that, there were invitations each year from cricket bodies in the USA, and simultaneously a drop in the likelihood of ever making it big in India.In 2014, Malhotra decided to make his move to the USA. Permanently.”I did dream of playing for India at the highest level, but playing for USA in international cricket has been very satisfying too,” he said. “Cricket here is on the right track, and with possible inclusion at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, it will give us a chance to take on the best on a global stage quite soon.”Besides this, we need to make the most of the qualifying rounds for World Cups in T20 and 50-over formats, so that we can get better exposure at the highest level.”

Liverpool are in uncharted waters, with these deep fathoms threatening not only the future of Arne Slot, who won the Premier League a matter of months ago, but that of Mohamed Salah, one of the greatest players in the club’s history, too.

Where is the respite? At the moment, Liverpool can’t catch a break, fumbling a two-goal lead to draw 3-3 at Leeds United on Saturday after previously drawing against well-worth-their-money Sunderland at Anfield. All told, the Reds have won only two of their past ten league fixtures, losing six.

But Liverpool have sculpted this disaster themselves. They have patented a startling ability to wreak havoc on their own progress, with tactical imbalances sparking crises of confidence, sparking mutiny.

Salah’s flaming interview at Elland Road will go down in the history books, and though FSG have since underlined their faith in Slot’s stewardship, the severity of this crossroads cannot be understated.

The latest on Slot's Liverpool future

Slot is in an unenviable position, with Salah’s outburst proving the latest and most damaging in a long line of mishaps since the summer.

While FSG retain the faith in the 47-year-old, who led Liverpool to the Premier League title last year after Jurgen Klopp stepped down, there’s an acceptance that results are needed quickly if something is to be salvaged from this campaign.

The fact of the matter is that Slot’s Liverpool started wobbling well before the end of the 2024/25 campaign, and he now needs to show that he can sort out the defence and restore balance to the team. He needs to show that quickly.

27

Games

52

23

Wins

26

3

Draws

10

1

Losses

16

2.66

PPG

1.69

73

Goals scored

91

27

Goals conceded

69

Liverpool are in big bother, and though FSG have been steadfast in their backing of the Dutchman, their leniency will only stretch so far, especially when there is such an exciting successor for Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes to consider.

Liverpool could hire Slot upgrade

Last week, it was reported that FSG have been considering Julian Nagelsmann as a candidate to replace Slot, should the Reds coach be sacked, though they will face a tough task in wrestling him away from the German national team, especially with the 2026 World Cup looming large.

Nagelsmann, 38, is among the world’s finest young coaches, having managed Hoffenheim, RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich in his homeland.

Would he be willing to park his international ambitions? Probably not. That’s why it’s anticipated he could be lined up ahead of the start of next season, meaning Liverpool would need to find an interim boss if Slot is dismissed before the end of the term.

What Nagelsmann would offer Liverpool

Nagelsmann has been described as the “best young coach in Europe” by journalist Josh Bunting, and though he’s the junior of practically all of the game’s standout managers, he’s hardly inexperienced, with a keen tactical mind that could be the remedy to a Liverpool team who have fallen by the wayside.

This is a fluid and interchangeable tactician. Nagelsmann employed a counter-pressing system at Leipzig before changing to a more dominant playing style at the Allianz Arena. He recognises the quirks and whims of the players at his disposal, and he crafts a system that caters to his troops.

Journalist Kai Iliev has even named him a “world-class manager” for his ability to fix a range of flaws within Germany’s national set-up. Now they are contenders. Now they believe again.

Liverpool could do with a bit of that, right? The appointment of Nagelsmann might even play into keeping Salah at the club; with the Egyptian King’s relationship under Slot having broken down, something has to give.

Liverpool, of course, will now back Salah over Slot. To do the contrary would result in anarchy. But this latest splinter in an outfit splitting wide open is not the root cause. Slot’s system is in a tailspin, and if he cannot establish form and fluency quickly, he will find that he has exhausted all the credit in the bank, and Edwards and Hughes will be forced into making a tough call.

The German coach’s principal 4-2-3-1 set-up would accommodate new signing Florian Wirtz and allow Salah to arc inwards once more and find passages into the danger area. This season, the 33-year-old has only posted five goals and three assists across all competitions.

Who could have expected this when Liverpool lifted the Premier League title? Salah was not the main man but the author of his long-term outfit’s illustrious success.

It’s not controversial to suggest that many, many Liverpool supporters would be dejected if Salah were to leave this winter, and it would be sure to put more than just a dampener on Slot’s reign at the Anfield helm.

If results do not continue over the coming weeks – with Salah off to AFCON after Liverpool host Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League this weekend – FSG will have to face the reality of theirt spiraling situation and make a change.

Could that prompt Salah to stay? Working under Nagelsmann on Merseyside, it just might, though whether the Reds are able to keep the African legend appeased and reach a decision that would see him remain at the club he has served so well over the past nine years remains to be seen.

In any case, this is a staggering, stomach-sinking situation, one that nobody could have foreseen, and Liverpool’s powers that be need to make sure an upswing is found – quickly.

Sell him before Salah & Konate: FSG must bin Liverpool's "major issue"

Liverpool have collapsed this season, and some tough decisions need to be made.

1 ByAngus Sinclair 2 days ago

Bayer Leverkusen have named Malik Tillman as their successor to Florian Wirtz by officially handing him the No.10 shirt following the German's move to Liverpool.

Wirtz left Leverkusen for LiverpoolTillman brought in to replace midfielderHanded No.10 shirt by Ten HagFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Leverkusen have had some major rebuilding to do this summer after losing Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong and head coach Xabi Alonso, and they have put their faith in former PSV midfielder Tillman to take on the former's role under Erik ten Hag.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The No.10 shirt is symbolic in the game of football and bears a lot of responsibility. That heavy burden will fall onto the shoulders of the USMNT youngster as Leverkusen look to continue on their upwards trajectory, having finished as runners-up behind Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga last term.

DID YOU KNOW?

Tillman came through the Bayern academy but spent time out on loan at several clubs, including Rangers. Last season for PSV, he bagged 21 goal contributions across all competitions on the way to winning the Eredivisie title.

AFPWHAT NEXT FOR TILLMAN?

Having recently returned from Gold Cup duties with the USMNT, Tillman is hoping to hit the ground running at Leverkusen after his move and fans will be behind him all the way, with the club even offering free printing of his name and number for the next few days, in a similar move to Arsenal for striker signing Viktor Gyokeres.

Zak Chappell lifted Derbyshire’s hopes of securing an elusive County Championship victory at Derby by demolishing Glamorgan on the opening day of the Division Two match.The fast bowler took 6 for 47, his best figures for the county, as the visitors were bowled out for 168 with Timm van der Gugten top scoring with an unbeaten 46.Glamorgan were 32 for 6 before Dan Douthwaite and van der Gugten led a mini recovery but Derbyshire closed on 119 for 2 with Harry Came not out 58. It leaves them in a strong position to push for a first Championship victory at the County Ground since they beat Sussex in August 2019.On a morning more in keeping with October, Derbyshire’s decision to bowl first on a grassy pitch paid immediate dividends with three wickets falling in the first five overs.In blustery conditions, Glamorgan’s top order had no answer to Chappell’s relentless accuracy and Luis Reece’s swing as they slumped to 9 for 3. Ben Kellaway’s promotion to opener was short-lived and he followed a pair on his first-class debut last September by edging a ball from Chappell that moved away late to register another duck in his third red-ball innings.In fairness, his more experienced team-mates fared little better with Billy Root bowled by a Reece delivery that kept low before Sam Northeast pushed forward to Chappell and was caught at second slip.Kiran Carlson played across one from Chappell that appeared to be going down before Reece got some late swing to have Colin Ingram caught behind. When Chris Cooke was caught behind down the leg side off one of the few bad balls Chappell bowled, Glamorgan were in disarray and grateful for the rain which resulted in an early lunch.Chappell, who passed 50 wickets in all formats for the season, left the field with outstanding figures of 4 for 9 from 6.4 overs but after the resumption they were dented when Douthwaite hit him for three fours in an over.With van der Gutgen playing solidly, the pair added 55 from 97 balls in relative comfort before Pat Brown removed Douthwaite with a snorter that nipped away late to take off stump.Chappell celebrated his fifth wicket when Mason Crane fenced at one to give Brooke Guest his fourth catch but Fraser Sheat on his debut looked capable until he top edged a pull to midwicket.Ned Leonard marked the first match of his loan spell from Somerset by helping van der Gugten take Glamorgan past 150 and drove Jack Morley’s second ball for six before he tried again next ball and holed out to long-on.Van der Gugten matched Chappell’s discipline with a probing spell but Sheat and Leonard could not exert the same pressure. Reece and Came shared an unbroken treble-century stand against Glamorgan last season but this time they managed only 21 before Reece was defeated by a full-length ball from van der Gugten.Guest played a loose stroke, clipping Leonard to midwicket with the score on 41, and Came should have gone on 28 but Ingram at first slip dropped an edge of Leonard.Came took advantage, seizing on any width to reach an 84-ball fifty which contained 10 fours, and with Wayne Madsen motoring to an unbeaten 41, they added 78 before bad light ended play.

As speculation continues to arrive about Sandro Tonali’s future, Newcastle United are reportedly in pole position to sign a midfield star who could replace the impressive Italian.

Juventus interested in Sandro Tonali

When Newcastle were without Tonali at the start of the season, it showed. Eddie Howe’s side struggled in pursuit of Champions League qualification and were lacking that added power in the middle of the park. Ever since the return of the Italian, however, the Magpies have dominated the majority of their midfield battles and formed quite the trio between Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton.

Starts

28

38

29

Progressive Passes

128

271

116

Tackles Won

32

47

35

Ball Recoveries

117

188

149

The perfect blend of combative midfielders and those who have the ability to step onto the front foot, not many can stand in the way of Newcastle’s bulldozing midfield three at their best.

As a result, interest was always likely to arrive with reports in Italy now indicating that Juventus are interested in signing Tonali in this summer’s transfer window. The Italian giants are seemingly looking to bring the midfielder back to the Serie A for the first time since he left AC Milan in what should send alarm bells ringing around St James’ Park.

Jamie Carragher has been among those to praise the Newcastle midfielder this season, even including him in his Monday Night Football Team of the Season. The Sky Sports pundit said when asked why: “I went for Tonali because Newcastle look like they are going to finish third in the Premier League.

Better than Mbeumo: Newcastle make "terrifyingly good" £67m ace a key target

Newcastle are in the market for a new winger, with Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo among those being mooted.

ByJoe Nuttall May 28, 2025

“I don’t think many people would have predicted that. They’ve won a trophy for the first time in 70 years. But they actually made a poor start to the season. I don’t think their season turned around until Eddie Howe put him [Tonali] in the holding role.”

Of course, it remains to be seen whether Tonali will give into the temptation of Italy, but it seems as though Newcastle have a much-needed plan in place nonetheless.

Newcastle now leading race to sign Matteo Guendouzi

According to Gazzetta dello Sport, as relayed by Sport Witness, Newcastle are now leading the race to sign Matteo Guendouzi from Lazio this summer. The former Arsenal midfielder is reportedly valued at just €40m (£34m) and could now be on his way back to the Premier League if Tonali decides to leave St James’ Park.

Starts

28

37

Progressive Passes

128

316

Tackles Won

32

21

Ball Recoveries

117

173

Not only does Guendouzi progress play better than Tonali, he has also outperformed the impressive Guimaraes in that department. Since leaving the Premier League with a whimper, the Frenchman has simply discovered another level to his game.

Earning plenty of praise ever since his time at the Emirates, football talent scout Jacek Kulig dubbed Guendouzi a “fantastic signing” by Marseille in 2021 and the midfielder has only proved to be equally as fantastic at Lazio.

A third FA Cup victory in six years for Manchester City might not make up for a dismal 2024/25 campaign, but it could plant the seed for rejuvenation under Pep Guardiola next term.

Losing Rodri so early on in the season proved to be the catalyst for the club’s worst run of form since the Spaniard took over in the summer of 2016.

This ensured none of the big prizes would be heading to the Etihad. But it wasn’t just losing Rodri that impacted the club. As a group, the team underperformed as the most successful era in the club’s history drew to a close.

Phil Foden has gone from 40 goal contributions last season to registering just 16 throughout 2024/25 in what has been a steady decline.

Elsewhere, Jack Grealish has also been poor, recording only eight goal contributions all season, while even Kevin De Bruyne hasn’t quite been his influential self as he shows signs of slowing down.

One of the biggest disappointments was Erling Haaland. The Norwegian had scored 52 and 38 goals across his first two seasons at the club, but has failed to hit those sorts of numbers this term.

Why Erling Haaland has struggled for Man City this season

The striker certainly began the campaign with a bang. Across his first five Premier League games, Haaland netted an impressive tally of ten goals.

This included back-to-back hat tricks against Ipswich Town and West Ham United. At this point, it appeared as though no one was going to prevent him, or City, from powering to another top-flight title.

Between the start of October and the end of 2024, however, Haaland managed to find the back of the net just three times. Even though his form picked up between January and March, an ankle injury sidelined him for a few games, and he hasn’t scored since March 30.

To put it into context how much of a drop-off the forward has endured this term, he has averaged a goal every 123 minutes in the Premier League this season, compared to every 95 minutes last year.

Metric

2022/23

2023/24

2024/25

Goals

37

27

21

Goal conversion percentage

29%

22%

20%

Shots per game

3.5

3.9

3.6

Goal frequency (minutes)

77

95

123

Assists

8

5

3

Via Sofascore

Furthermore, Haaland’s goal conversion rate has dropped from 22% to 20% while he is averaging fewer shots per game (3.9 vs 3.6). These statistics might not indicate a serious drop-off, but considering he is about to end the season with his worst goal tally at a club since the 2021/22 season, there is a problem.

With Guardiola keen on bolstering his squad this summer, it looks as though he is eyeing a move for one of the finest wingers in Europe.

Could his potential arrival revive Haaland next season?

Man City eye move for Real Madrid superstar

City’s main transfer target this summer appears to be Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz. His agents apparently flew to England recently, but it is unclear whether they spoke to City about a move when the window opens.

It would be a major coup if they could secure his signature, but is another one of Europe’s finest being earmarked for a move to the Etihad?

According to Spanish news outlet Sport, City have contacted Real Madrid sensation Rodrygo in the hopes of bringing him to England.

The Brazilian will likely wait until Madrid have appointed a new manager following Carlo Ancelotti’s departure to take over as the Brazil manager.

The right offer could certainly tempt the La Liga giants into a sale, with a price tag set at around the €100m (£85m) mark, then the winger could be on the move.

Much will depend on how much Guardiola is willing to spend on the player, especially if he is successful in a deal to sign Wirtz, but City are lining up a swoop for the Brazil international.

Rodrygo on the right flank could certainly provide some much-needed attacking dynamism to the first-team, and he would work wonders for Haaland.

Why City should sign Rodrygo

Across 267 games for Madrid, the 24-year-old has registered 118 goal contributions – 68 goals and 50 assists in all competitions.

These goal involvements have helped the club win two La Liga crowns and two Champions League titles, but it looks as though his time in the Spanish capital might be coming to an end.

Capable of scoring goals in the biggest and most important games, he was hailed by journalist Dougie Critchley as being a “big game player” and this is someone Guardiola would surely love to have at his disposal next term.

When compared to his positional peers across Europe’s big five leagues, the Brazilian ranks in the top 1% for progressive passes, progressive carries, touches in the opposition penalty area, and progressive passes received per 90.

Additionally, he also ranks in the top 9% for assists and top 4% for shot-creating actions per 90 across the previous 365 days.

These qualities could be a dream for the Norwegian sensation. With Rodrygo getting into dangerous positions so often, especially in the attacking penalty area, Haaland would be the one to benefit, being offered countless chances in front of goal.

In La Liga this season, the Madrid winger has created five big chances while averaging 1.6 key passes per game. Add in the fact he succeeds with 1.6 dribbles – a success rate of 52% – per game, and it is clear to see exactly what he could offer to City from this summer onwards.

He and Haaland would make for a dream partnership that Guardiola would hope not only gives the club a chance at reclaiming back the Premier League title, but also for another chance of winning the Champions League.

A lot of factors will have to work in City’s favour for a move to go ahead, but as the Spaniard knows, he cannot afford for his team to perform so poorly throughout 2025/26.

With Rodri set to return from injury soon, plus new signings like Nico Gonzalez and Omar Marmoush settling in nicely, City have the tools ready to begin a brand-new era at the Etihad.

Adding Rodrygo would be the icing on the cake.

Perfect Reijnders alternative: Man City preparing bid for "magic" £60m star

Man City could well be ready to step up their interest in an alternative to Tijjani Reijnders

ByJoe Nuttall May 14, 2025