أعلن الهولندي آرني سلوت، المدير الفني للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ليفربول تشكيل فريقه لمباراة كريستال بالاس ضمن منافسات الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز “بريميرليج”.
ويواجه الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ليفربول نظيره كريستال بالاس، عصر اليوم، السبت، ضمن منافسات الجولة السادسة من بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز “بريميرلج”.
ويستضيف ملعب “سيلهرست بارك” معقل فريق كريستال بالاس المباراة المثيرة والقوية في تمام الساعة الخامسة مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة ومكة المكرمة.
وحقق ليفربول الفوز في الـ 5 جولات السابقة جعلته متصدرًا جدول ترتيب الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز برصيد 15 نقطة وبفارق 5 نقاط على وصيفه آرسنال والذي جمع 10 نقاط. تشكيل ليفربول أمام كريستال بالاس في الدوري الإنجليزي
في حراسة المرمى: أليسون بيكر.
في خط الدفاع: برادلي – فيرجيل فان دايك – إبراهيما كوناتي – ميلوس كيركيز.
في خط الوسط: ريان جرافنبيرخ – ماك أليستر – دومينيك سوبوسلاي.
في خط الهجوم: فلوريان فيرتز – ألكسندر إيزاك – محمد صلاح.
How we line up against Crystal Palace ✊ #CRYLIV — Liverpool FC (@LFC) September 27, 2025
Leeds United are active in the market and have now held a meeting to sign a talented playmaker who they have been heavily linked with this window, per recent developments.
Daniel Farke set to make key Leeds United transfer decisions
While the window rumbles on, Daniel Farke has plenty of decisions to make at the Elland Road helm, including who to keep and who to sell from his existing squad.
Addressing the future of one star under the microscope, Farke has confirmed Jack Harrison could be a part of Leeds United’s plans this season if he is able to win back the trust of supporters after spending two years on loan at Everton.
He stated: “Jack has many Premier League appearances and we would be stupid if we didn’t want to use that. It is a bit tricky if you have a couple of years away but that was a decision before my time.
“Right now he is back with us. He is a great guy, a hard worker and very reliable. It is up to him to win the confidence and trust back.”
Nevertheless, Leeds United are expected to turn to the market for more reinforcements, and Leicester City’s James Justin could move to Elland Road as he enters the last year of his deal at the Foxes.
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Artem Dovbyk and Rodrigo Muniz are targets to strengthen Leeds’ forward line, albeit it remains to be seen whether Roma and Fulham, respectively, would be willing to let either leave for Yorkshire.
Focusing on the foil behind the strikeforce, Farke and the 49ers may now be closing in on a landmark deal for a statement addition, per reports.
Leeds hold meeting with camp of Leicester City playmaker Bilal El Khannouss
According to Sacha Tavolieri on X, Leeds have held a meeting with Leicester City star Bilal El Khannouss’s camp, Stirr Associates, and they have indicated that they would be willing to pay the Morocco international’s £24.5 million release clause.
His agency also represent new Whites signing Sebastiaan Bornauw, which could open the door to a deal being done following their previous successful negotiations with one of their clients.
Labelled a “sensational prospect” by Ben Mattinson, El Khannouss registered three goals and six assists in 37 appearances last campaign as Leicester suffered relegation.
Crystal Palace are also interested in his services, though Tavolieri has confirmed that Oliver Glasner would need to sell Eberechi Eze before a transfer could become viable for the South London-based outfit.
Taking note, Leeds now appear to be in the box seat to bring El Khannouss to Elland Road, providing they can navigate all moving parts of an evolving situation.
Aston Villa are now racing to sign an “aggressive” midfielder, who is open to a move to the Premier League this summer, according to a report.
Villa looking to bolster midfield options
Villa brought Marco Asensio in on loan during the January transfer window, and the Spaniard went on to have an impressive second half of the season, picking up eight goals and one assist in 21 outings across all competitions.
With the summer transfer window now entering its final month, however, Unai Emery is yet to bring in a replacement for Asensio, having made very few additions to his squad, and there have been suggestions that the former loanee could be brought back.
Fenerbahce have also been named as potential suitors for the Paris Saint-Germain attacking midfielder, but the Turkish club are yet to make a breakthrough in negotiations, which could open the door for a move to Villa Park.
However, the 29-year-old is not the only option on the shortlist, with a report from A Bola (via Sport Witness) revealing Aston Villa are now interested in signing Southampton’s Mateus Fernandes, but there could be stiff competition for his signature.
Leeds United and Atletico Madrid are also in the race for Fernandes, who is open to making a return to the Premier League this summer, having suffered relegation from the top flight with the Saints last season.
The Villans may have to shell out a relatively large amount to get a deal over the line, with Southampton setting an asking price of more than €35m (£30m) two months ago, although it is unclear whether a transfer fee in that region is realistic.
Fernandes deserves another chance in Premier League
The Saints endured one of the worst campaigns in Premier League history last season, collecting just 12 points, but their young midfielder still managed to impress at times, collecting two goals and four assists in 36 outings.
Former manager Vasco Seabra has also lauded the 20-year-old for his physical attributes in the past, describing him as a “very strong and aggressive player with a great ability to cover a lot of ground”.
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Fernandes was a shining light in a poor Southampton side last season, and the starlet is also impressive defensively, placing in the top 2% for tackles per 90 over the past year, and in the top 4% for interceptions, when compared to other attacking midfielders.
However, with a Europa League campaign on the horizon, it may be a savvy move for Villa to bring in an attacking midfielder with more top-level experience, meaning Asensio could be a better addition to the squad, having played for some of Europe’s top clubs.
Jasprit Bumrah threatened to take a wicket every second delivery, but NZ eased their way to the target of 107
Sidharth Monga20-Oct-20242:01
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The exhilarating Bengaluru Test got the climax it deserved, with New Zealand made to work hard to complete their first Test win in India in 36 years. Under overcast skies, the ball seamed around appreciably, Jasprit Bumrah threatened to take a wicket every second delivery, and the crowd appealed almost every ball, but New Zealand absorbed it all to ease their way to the target of 107 once things settled down a touch.Will Young was the calming influence after Bumrah got Tom Latham second ball of the day, but Devon Conway did his bit – jumping around, wearing blows on the body, but not playing loose shots. By the time Bumrah finally got Conway for 17 off 39 balls, he was at the fag end of his spell and New Zealand had scored 35 already. The fielders did their bit, having saved at least 11 runs by then.But once again India’s misreading of the pitch came back to hurt them. They didn’t have a third seamer to exploit the conditions, and Young and Rachin Ravindra knocked off the remaining runs with relative ease.4:44
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While Bumrah bowled, though, you struggled to see where the next run would come from. He drew 22 false shots in eight overs, consistently drawing movement off the surface. Latham might have thought he had the accurate inswinger covered, but the ball pitched and nipped in even further to get him. Conway thought he had the angle covered from around the wicket, but this one swung after pitching, beginning to change its path halfway between pitching and reaching Conway, beating the outside edge and trapping him in front.Bumrah was in his seventh over now, and Ravindra, the first-innings centurion, all but sealed the deal when he got two boundaries off the first three balls he faced. He steered the first one behind square, and then got the rare loose ball from Bumrah – a full one on the pads.Young then paddled and punched Ravindra Jadeja for boundaries in his first over to get the package ready. Not trusting the Bengaluru weather to hold up after lunch, the two batters attacked the spinners to put a nice little bow on the top. Young’s drop-kicked six off Kuldeep Yadav was even Mark Waugh-like.India made a remarkable comeback from being bowled out for 46 in the first innings, but in the end, New Zealand hung in long enough to seal only their third Test win in India and their first since 1988.
A firing lower middle order almost took India to 300 before Bishnoi and Co completed 133-run thumping
Sidharth Monga12-Oct-20240:56
Seven records India smashed against Bangladesh
India handed out one final shellacking to Bangladesh on their final night of the tour, but this was one for the ages. The second-highest T20I score, three short of 300; Sanju Samson’s silken 40-ball century, Suryakumar Yadav’s improvisation and power; and then the finish by the powerful lower middle order.There was no respite for Bangladesh: 22 sixes (joint-highest for a Test-playing side) and 25 fours combined for the most runs in boundaries in a T20 innings, a record 18 overs went for ten runs or more, one of them went for five sixes, and three bowlers conceded 50 or more. Two of the 26 dot balls turned out to be no-balls, a catch went down, and a run-out was missed.Samson, Suryakumar stun BangladeshWhen Tanzim Hasan got Abhishek Sharma out with a bouncer first ball, little would have Bangladesh known that would be their last moment of joy for the evening. Samson had already messed around with Taskin Ahmed’s lines by backing away and hitting four successive fours in the second over. The new batter, Suryakumar, took only one ball before hitting his first six.Related
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Samson wasn’t to be left behind. He backed away and got the better of Mustafizur Rahman too with a six and a four. Suryakumar then capped off the powerplay with shots that should be considered audacious but are the norm for him, managing to pull balls well behind square when most batters would be happy going just behind. The last of those was a pull over midwicket, taking India to their joint-highest powerplay score, 82.Suryakumar was to unfurl a carved six over backward point that he had no right sending there, but the most memorable shots came from Samson. Some of his eight sixes were audacious but they were not muscled. His control percentage for a strike-rate of 236.17 was a high 81.ESPNcricinfo Ltd
The most incredible of Samson’s sixes was when he almost stepped on the stumps to create a short length on a Mustafizur slower ball, and drove it off the back foot over extra cover. Legspinner Rishad Hossain, who went for 55 last match, was just shot. He kept erring in length, starting the first over with a short ball, but in his second he kept letting Samson hit him for sixes down the ground without having to use his feet. Some of it was the pitch, but a lot of it was his lengths: too full. In the end, Rishad’s two overs went for 46 runs.The innings was a monkey off the back for Samson, whose talent had yet to translate into numbers in international T20s. It showed in his extravagant celebrations on reaching both the fifty and the hundred, India’s second-quickest. For a change, Suryakumar had to be content with being the support act in the 173-run second-wicket stand.Punishment continuesUsually you expect a bit of relief when you break such a long stand, but Riyan Parag and Hardik Pandya had other ideas. Parag took three balls to hit his boundary, Pandya the same. Between them they scored 81 off 31 balls, hitting four sixes apiece. Pandya managed to outdo the Samson back-foot six over extra cover when he made his off Tanzim even bigger. Again a good slower short ball with no room, but it still sailed over extra cover.Two wickets in the final over made sure India didn’t get to 300, but that was hardly any consolation for Bangladesh.Final ritesIt could still get worse and it did for Bangladesh. The chase began with a brute of a bouncer from Mayank Yadav for a golden duck for Parvez Hossain. Mahmudullah’s last outing in T20 international at 8 off 9 to go with bowling figures of 2-0-26-1. Ravi Bishnoi, playing his first match of the series, showed off India’s spin riches with three wickets. Towhid Hridoy’s half-century, at a strike rate of 150 with three fours and five sixes, did manage to prevent the biggest T20I defeat for a Test-playing team bug it was Bangladesh’s biggest loss in terms of runs.
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca remains keen to upgrade his attacking options, despite having already signed Liam Delap, Jamie Gittens and Joao Pedro.
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That is according to recent reports, specifically from Stamford Bridge journalist Simon Phillips, who states that signing new forwards is still a top priority for Maresca after his side’s struggles against the low block throughout 2024/2025.
“Chelsea are going about their transfer business to have a strong end to the window and make sure they are fully equipped to capitalise on this success and go into the new Premier League season,” wrote Phillips on his Substack earlier this week.
“Enzo Maresca has prioritised the attack as his point of improvements, and they want to have deep cover and quality in all areas of the attack to make sure they can break down low blocks – something they all collectively saw as one of the biggest problems they faced last season and will continue to face in the Premier League into next season.”
More player sales will be key to this, however, with UEFA putting pressure on Chelsea to sell squad members and balance out the team, or face not being able to register new signings for the Champions League next season (Kaveh Solhekol).
Having just won the Club World Cup, granting Chelsea a seismic £87.5 million financial windfall, they’ve also sold Kepa Arrizabalaga, Basir Humphreys, Noni Madueke, Marcus Bettinelli and Djordje Petrovic for a combined rumoured fee of around £96 million – which will be closer to £100 million when taking into account Mathis Amougou’s move to Strasbourg.
The cost of that transfer was undisclosed, but factoring in their near-£187.5 million cash boost, Chelsea have actually made a profit so far this summer – so there is still money left to spend whilst comfortably avoiding the PSR threshold.
Chelsea are also looking at ‘unofficial swap deals’ as a means to balance out their squad and land key transfer targets (Simon Phillips), with Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze chief among the options on their shortlist.
Chelsea given free run at signing Eberechi Eze after Arsenal decision
Earlier this week, it was reported that Chelsea held fresh talks with Eze’s representatives, and TEAMtalk now claim that the Blues could have a free-run at signing the England international, who has a £68 million release clause in his contract.
TT back up suggestions that Chelsea are talking to the 27-year-old’s camp, and what’s more, it is believed that Arsenal have decided to cool their interest in Eze.
Tottenham pulled away in recent weeks too, so Chelsea could now have a free run at signing Eze this summer, and they’re prepared to offer him a “lucrative contract” to tempt the attacker across London to Stamford Bridge.
Eze bagged 14 goals and 11 assists in all competitions last season, including the game-winning FA Cup final strike against Man City to hand Palace their first ever major trophy.
“Everyone who loves football should enjoy seeing Eze on the pitch,” said Fulham boss Marco Silva in 2024.
“He is a top, top young player and has so much quality with everything he does on the pitch.”
Glasgow Rangers booked their place in the next round of Champions League qualifiers after a 1-1 draw against Panathinaikos in Greece on Wednesday night.
The Light Blues rode their luck at times before they eventually went 1-0 down in the 53rd minute, only for substitute Djeidi Gassama to score his second goal in as many games for the club just seven minutes later.
Whilst it was another positive result for the Gers, who beat the Greek side 2-0 at Ibrox last week, there were some concerning moments and performances on the pitch for Russell Martin’s side.
The team news was met with some surprise as Gassama was initially left on the bench again and Kieran Dowell was selected from the start, and the former Norwich man failed to justify the manager’s continued faith in him.
Why Rangers should drop Kieran Dowell
With the Gers travelling to Motherwell for the opening game of the Scottish Premiership season on Saturday, Martin must drop the English winger from the XI.
Performance in Numbers
Want data and stats? Football FanCast’s Performance in Numbers series provides you with the latest match analysis from across Europe
Dowell started the first leg against Panathinaikos at Ibrox last week, on the right wing, and produced zero shots on target and zero key passes in 75 minutes before being taken off, whilst he also missed a ‘big chance’.
This time around, the Everton academy graduate had zero shots on goal and created zero chances in 74 minutes on the pitch on the right wing, which shows that he was equally as ineffective.
This is why Dowell, who has not offered any threat in front of goal as a scorer or a creator, should be dropped for the clash with Motherwell, but he is not the only player who should face the axe.
Why Rangers should drop Max Aarons
Summer signing Max Aarons was selected at left-back once again and looked too uncomfortable away from his favoured position at right-back for most of the match, before switching to the right for the last 17 minutes.
The former Norwich man, who was handed a 4/10 player rating by The Scotsman, made an almost costly error early on in the match when he failed to deal with a through ball and allowed their forward to race clear on goal, only for Jack Butland to make a vital save.
That mistake seemed to set the tone for Aarons for the rest of the night. He looked hesitant to be aggressive with his defending and looked uncomfortable trying to push forward on his weaker left foot, which is why he was just as bad as the ineffective Dowell.
Jefte came on, replacing Dowell, in the second half, and looked far more comfortable at left-back, as you would expect given that it is his natural position, and should be given the nod over Aarons on Saturday.
Minutes played
90
17
Tackles + interceptions
1
2
Ground duel success rate
83%
100%
Pass accuracy
89%
100%
Dribbled past
0x
0x
Error led to shot
1
0
Crosses attempted
0
2
As you can see in the table above, the Brazilian defender won more tackles and attempted more crosses in 17 minutes than the Bournemouth loanee managed in 90.
Jefte, as a left-footed player, is more comfortable progressing with the ball to take up crossing positions and more confident at going in for tackles with his left foot, which is why it was not a surprise to see him put up superior statistics in his short time on the pitch.
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It is now down to Martin to ruthlessly axe his new signing from the starting XI, unless he plans to drop the captain James Tavernier from right-back, in order to have a natural left-back in the team on that side.
“Whether it’s a pink ball or a red ball, the difference is really in the mind,” batting coach Nayar says
Alagappan Muthu29-Nov-20241:25
Pujara: ‘Nothing later than No. 3, KL has to bat in the top order’
Shubman Gill must have wanted to feel good about himself before he got down to work. At the start of India’s training session in Canberra on Friday, he went around to the back of the nets facility, where only throwdowns were possible, and that too from about 10 yards, and for the first few minutes, he was totally freestyling. Big booming drives. Lovely back foot punches.After a little bit of this, he asked India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate to help him drill down on his defence. Now the balls were coming down on a good length and he focused on meeting them under his eyes. Somehow the sound off the bat was louder than he was trying to whack them. That left thumb that he injured in Perth doesn’t seem to be giving him a whole lot of problems anymore.Gill began with throwdowns from up close, then graduated to facing them off the sidearm and then capped it off by fronting up against Akash Deep and Yash Dayal at full speed. “He is batting right now and our physio will evaluate him and I will know his status after that,” the other assistant coach Abhishek Nayar said on Friday afternoon. “But from what I have seen, he is looking comfortable batting and he looks like he can bat [in a match]. He is batting in the indoor nets and we will know if he can play the practice match or not.”Related
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India arrived in Canberra on Wednesday night to a group of fans waiting for them at the airport. Then they hit up the Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for a little “how do you do,” and under significantly overcast skies that did in the end bring rain that lasted almost right through the training session, focused on the challenge of playing against the pink ball. India will ramp up prep for the second Test in Adelaide with a day-night match against the Prime Minister’s XI which is scheduled to start on Saturday, but the weather forecast for it is pretty poor. The first day of the two-day game might well get washed out.Perhaps in anticipation of that, India’s batters got nice, long, sessions to get used to the pink ball and all the mischief it is capable of. Yashasvi Jaiswal had barely figured out what shot to play when he was rapped on the pads and he hated it. Standing there, with his legs crossed and his hand on his hip, he had to listen to Ravindra Jadeja gloat. “That ball swung away, didn’t it?” There was a hint of surprise in those words, and also of the challenge that now lies ahead of this team. Day-night Test matches are sometimes bowler-dominated affairs, especially in Australia.”Whether it’s a pink ball or a red ball, the difference is really in the mind,” Nayar said. “Of course, there is a bit of difference between the two – the colour is different, there is more lacquer – and we are lucky that we have got six-eight days to get ready. When we were in Perth, too, we were training with the pink ball. Rohit [Sharma] was training [with the pink ball] too. So we have started our preparations. We will continue to focus on our game, and do what we need to do.”India have only played four pink-ball Test matches so far, the last of which took place in March 2022. They will be back at the venue of 36 all out, but this time the vibe is completely different. The joy of Perth has seeped into the fringe players who are here as well, who began the day playing that game where you get a bunch of people around in a circle and try to keep a football from hitting the ground. Sarfaraz Khan had a bit of trouble with it and everybody piled on him, laughter ringing out over the delightfully intimate Manuka Oval, Sarfaraz himself joining in.1:21
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Rohit was waiting in the tunnels at the Optus Stadium, greeting every Indian player that was coming back on a high after that 295-run victory last week. His return – after becoming father to a second child – has lifted the team even higher. Rohit had already begun playing against the pink ball in Perth and he backed that up in Adelaide, though he looked a little rusty in between bringing out some of his signature shots – including a pull on one leg, which he took care to keep down.”When Rohit Sharma is around, there’s a lot of laughing and joking around,” Nayar said, “So the morale and the environment is good. The morale is excellent anyway. Rohit wasn’t around initially, but he was very much with us [in spirit] all through. So there wasn’t much of a difference.”With a chill in the air, a song on the speakers ( by Glass Animals) and an image of Gandalf from frozen on the big screen, where all he could do was bob his head back and forth with a content smile (clearly he is a fan of the band), this felt like a session where the Indian team was slowly reacquainting themselves with the grind after a few well-deserved days off.Rishabh Pant spent virtually all of it running around the outfield. KL Rahul did 100-yard sprints over and over again. Virat Kohli attracted the attention of the fans who had come over to watch and what they saw was a perfectionist who yelled out in frustration when his drives resulted in edges, delighted in meeting it off the middle soon after and threw a thumbs up at Mukesh Kumar when he got the ball past his edge.Jaiswal, who perhaps did more work than most, switched priorities and tried his hand at fast bowling as training came to a close. Coming off a two-step run up from the boundary’s edge, he very nearly had Dhruv Jurel bowled on the leave, his hands flying to his head as the ball just whistled past the top of those bright yellow flexi cricket stumps. It didn’t seem like he enjoyed himself though. “Being a fast bowler is hard work, yaar,” he said to plenty of laughter and padded up again to face more throwdowns.
Liverpool’s Premier League title defence kicked off with three points. Bournemouth were valiant and impressive at Anfield, but the Reds dug in and showcased their quality as they rallied in the final stretch of the curtain-raising game.
While the Reds showcased a remarkable array of attacking talent against the hard-fighting Cherries, they lacked something in defence, with Arne Slot’s side squandering a two-goal lead in the second half.
Antoine Semenyo had a field day against a discordant Reds backline, who must find balance and coherence in the weeks ahead if they wish to rebuff the danger that is bound to spring from title rivals who are expected to improve after last year.
And Ibrahima Konate, in particular, suffered from a rusty performance at the back. It was a display that, perhaps, new recruit Giovanni Leoni and top transfer target Marc Guehi would have taken heed of.
Ibrahima Konate's performance vs Bournemouth
Semenyo’s second-half double proved a blow to Liverpool’s start to their title defence, but the impressive right winger deserved both of his goals and will have felt be got the better of the hosts’ unfluent backline.
Konate was at the epicentre of the struggles, with Jamie Carragher remarking on Sky Sports co-comms that the France international was “all over the place” for Slot’s side, making seven clearances throughout the evening but lacking the control nor composure to ensrue the home side moved toward three points in a smooth fashion to start their campaign.
Completely exposed for Bournemouth’s second and suffering across numerous offensive pushes from the lively south coasters, Konate, 26, will be frustrated with his performance, not least because noise rumbles in the background regarding a potentially forthcoming move for Crystal Palace’s Guehi.
While Konate struggled to produce anything close to his finest form, he wasn’t the only one to have flattered to deceive, with Florian Wirtz leaving plenty to be desired on his Premier League debut.
Florian Wirtz left plenty to be desired
Wirtz joined Liverpool in a club-record £100m move in June, and that may yet rise to a £116m fee with add-ons that would see him eclipse Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo as the record-breaking signing in British history.
But he struggled to produce a befitting performance against a well-oiled Bournemouth side, enjoying some high-level touches and neat layoffs but struggling to lay down his marker as he would have hoped.
Without a doubt, these first two outings have left something to be desired, but they’ve also demonstrated the German international’s first-class quality on the ball, invariably creative and finding openings for his teammates.
Wirtz’s Liverpool starts
Match Stats
vs Palace
vs Bournemouth
Minutes played
84′
82′
Goals
0
0
Assists
1
0
Touches
74
69
Shots (on target)
1 (0)
1 (0)
Accurate passes
50/57 (88%)
37/48 (77%)
Key passes
4
3
Dribbles
0/2
0/0
Tackles
2
2
Duels won
3/9
3/9
Data via Sofascore
After the Bournemouth clash, The Liverpool Echo’s Ian Doyle handed the 22-year-old a 6/10 match rating acknowledging his playmaking ability but struggle to influence proceedings as would have been desired. Indeed, he would depart after losing the ball on average every 3.6 touches, having lost possession 19 times in all.
He will need to muscle up over the coming weeks, adapting to the rigorous nature of the Premier League, but there’s no doubt that Wirtz is a top talent.
However, as with Konate, he left plenty of room for improvement against Andoni Iraola’s side, and his performance will be under greater scrutiny against Newcastle United at St. James’ Park next week.
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England 395 for 9 dec and 31 for 1 lead South Africa 281 (Wolvaardt 65, Kapp 57, Luus 56, Bell 4-49) by 145 runsLaura Wolvaardt, Marizanne Kapp and Sune Luus all scored half-centuries but none went on three figures as England took control of the one-off Test in Bloemfontein.Lauren Bell’s career-best 4 for 49, which included the first and second-last wickets of the innings, will steal the headlines but England’s seamers were collectively excellent and well deployed by captain Heather Knight. Lauren Filer operated in short, sharp bursts which allowed her to maintain good pace, debutant Ryana MacDonald-Gay made crucial breakthroughs with the old ball and Nat Sciver-Brunt was typically disciplined as South Africa failed to build on their decent starts.Wolvaardt and Annerie Dercksen put on 92 for the second wicket and Kapp and Luus a South African record 99-run stand for the fourth, but there were no other stands higher than 25. They lost 7 for 44 in 14.4 overs which undid the good work from the first day, when they took 7 for 118 in England’s innings and survived a tricky end-of-day batting period to resume with all ten wickets in hand.England got a breakthrough in the second over when Anneke Bosch played at a Bell delivery on fifth-stump and feathered an edge through to Amy Jones. That brought Dercksen to the crease, promoted to No. 3 after debuting at No. 8 against India earlier in the year, and she was peppered by short balls from Filer, bowling at good pace.The fourth hit her the side of the helmet as she took her eyes off the ball and tried to get out of its way. Dercksen smiled as she was checked for concussion and provided the perfect riposte when she drove Bell through the covers in the next over. When Filer offered that length she got the same response. Wolvaardt meted out similar treatment to bring up South Africa’s fifty in the 14th over.Ryana MacDonald-Gay appeals during her key old-ball spell•ECB/Getty Images
Nat Sciver-Brunt replaced Filer, whose first spell was seven overs long, and Dercksen could relax. She reeled off two strong bottom-handed drives but any level of comfort was short lived. Sciver-Brunt found her edge in the next over but it went wide of the slips and then Sophie Ecclestone took over.At the other end, 20-year old MacDonald-Gay got her first opportunity with the ball and started well, with good shape into the right-hander. She squared Dercksen up in her fifth over, which earned the batter a streaky boundary. Wolvaardt looked far more assured as she pulled MacDonald-Gay through square leg to bring up the partnership fifty and then took the first runs off Ecclestone when she whipped her through midwicket. She brought up her own fifty off 99 balls, her second successive fifty-plus Test score.With 15 minutes to go to the lunch interval, Filer was brought back for a short spell and continued to trouble Dercksen, who top-edged the third ball to fine leg on 33. Bell made good ground but shelled the chance. Three overs later, Filer found the same steep bounce and Dercksen tried to cut but top-edged again. Heather Knight, at second slip, jumped to take the catch and parried to Ecclestone, who held on the rebound. South Africa went to lunch on 113 for 2, having scored 96 runs in the morning session and 282 runs behind.Luus resumed with Wolvaardt post-lunch and started watchfully. It was only when MacDonald-Gay and Filer went short that Wolvaardt and Luus took them on and England rectified their lengths quickly to dry up runs. South Africa scored 25 runs in 50 balls in the second session before Wolvaardt was stuck on the crease and hit on the pads by Ecclestone, who successfully appealed for lbw.Marizanne Kapp batted through the middle session for South Africa•Gallo Images/Getty Images
Wolvaardt immediately indicated she had hit the ball but, with no DRS, could not review. This was the second incident in the match in which South Africa could have benefitted from a referral. On day one, Kapp was convinced she had Tammy Beaumont out lbw off the second ball of the match but was given not out. Umpire Kerrin Klaaste was the decision-maker on both occasions.Kapp had to put that aside when she joined Luus and took on the more aggressive role. She sent Bell through the covers and past point and flicked Ecclestone fine and Charlie Dean through midwicket and, as she found boundaries, Luus allowed herself to play with freedom too. They brought up the South African 200, took on the spinners and then Kapp also blunted Filer before tea to finish a successful session for the home side in which 112 runs came for the loss of only one wicket.Play resumed for the evening session with the floodlights blazing and storm clouds overhead. The atmosphere was ominous and it proved so for Kapp who was bowled by a stunning MacDonald-Gay delivery which held its line, beat the drive and hit the top of off stump. Five balls later, a lightning strike took the players off the field for a further 45 minutes with the new ball six overs away.Lauren Bell was on a hat-trick as South Africa collapsed•ECB/Getty Images
England made one more incision with the old ball when MacDonald-Gay’s discipline paid off and she had Nadine de Klerk caught behind for a duck. South Africa were 237 for 5, eight runs short of the follow-on target of 245. Chloe Tryon took them past that with successive fours off MacDonald-Gay and England took the second new ball as soon as it became available.Filer took it and started with a familiar short-ball tactic but adjusted to a fuller length early on. The first ball of her second over moved off the seam, Luus swung and nicked off. Chloe Tryon hit four fours before she chipped Bell to Beaumont at mid-on in the softest of dismissals and the tail could not have been expected to do much more. Bell bowled Jafta and Mlaba in successive balls after the former didn’t move her feet and the latter backed away and Sciver-Brunt picked up a wicket when Ayanda Hlubi was given out lbw.Wolvaardt used five bowlers to deliver the 14 remaining overs. Kapp and Hlubi opened the bowling and beat the bat several times in the opening exchanges, starting the innings with three consecutive maidens. Hlubi then produced a beauty in her third over, which moved off the seam and took the outside edge as Bouchier became the second batter in women’s Test to score a century and a duck in the same game, after Jan Brittin. Beaumont and Knight saw out the day, growing England’s lead to 145.