He struggled initially but converted a nine-ball-three and a run-a-ball 20 into a match-winning 94 off 50

The Report by Sidharth Monga06-Dec-20194:32

Star Sports Match Point – Pathan runs out of adjectives for Kohli

An unmistakable sign of greatness shone through as Virat Kohli sealed India’s sixth straight successful chase at home, their second-highest successful one overall.For a large part of the chase, Kohli kept fighting himself, unable to find his touch, but he found a way to turn a start of a nine-ball-three and a run-a-ball 20 in a two-run-a-ball chase into a match-winning 94 off 50. And he didn’t play all that well. Let it sink in. That’s greatness right there.Animated, furious at himself and the opposition, Kohli had a capacity crowd live the chase with him. At one point, he hit a six and mocked Kesrick Williams’ signature celebration wherein he pulls out an imaginary notebook from his pocket and pretends to strike off the batsman’s name off.This was a rare high-scoring T20 match where the side scoring fewer runs in boundaries ended up winning. India managed 120 in boundaries as compared to West Indies’ 134, but West Indies made up for it with the extras they conceded: 21 to India’s four, not counting leg-byes, which are not a sign of ordinary discipline.West Indies refuse to slow downThe last time India won the toss, they chose to bat against South Africa, knowing fully well defending is their weaker suit, especially in dewy conditions. That, though, was with a series lead in hand. In the series opener against West Indies, they stuck to chasing. West Indies knew they had their task cut out.From the moment Evin Lewis got stuck into Washington Sundar in the first over, West Indies were on a mission to get themselves a defendable total. It didn’t matter that Lendl Simmons fell in Deepak Chahar’s first over. Brandon King hit the third ball he faced for four. Nor did Lewis’ wicket for 40 off 17 in the sixth over slow them down. When King fell in the 11th over, Shimron Hetmyer immediately hit Ravindra Jadeja for four.Chahal makes the differenceIt seemed India may have missed a trick not bowling the legspin of Yuzvendra Chahal the moment Kieron Pollard walked out. It was 107 for 3 after 11 when Chahal could have exploited Pollard’s weakness against legspin. Instead Shivam Dube was hit for 13, and Jadeja for 12 in the next. However, by getting the wickets of Hetmyer and Pollard in the 18th over, Chahal may have made sure West Indies don’t make an absolute killing of the final few overs. Jason Holder’s nine-ball-24, though, took them to a total India have never chased successfully before.Rahul charges at West IndiesDew was going to play a part, but India still needed a quick start to this chase. Back as opener in Shikhar Dhawan’s absence, KL Rahul provided just that. He went after Holder in the second over, and then made sure India didn’t fall streets behind when Kohli struggled for a start upon the early dismissal of Rohit Sharma. Along the way he became the third-fastest to 1000 T20 international runs in terms of innings taken to get there.BCCIThe Kohli showAt the other end, though, Kohli was just not himself. But in being that, he was more himself than he can ever be. At every shank, he kept admonishing himself. Then he tried harder, and shanked harder. West Indies, generous with wides, were smart with their changes of pace. Perhaps a word or three flew too. A border-line no-ball call for height went West Indies’ way. Kohli reacted to everything, especially to the bowlers’ interaction with him. Many a great batsman are known to go in their shell and only respond to chirping once the job is done, but Kohli was thriving on it. He was perhaps looking for it. Who knows if there was any chirping?All we know is Kohli was not happy, and he was willing himself to concentrate harder. Reading body language is usually fraught with risks, but you could obviously say Kohli on this night was in some other zone. And with every single he took, the asking rate went up. At the halfway mark, India needed to go at 11.9 an over. Hayden Walsh then bowled a lovely over but Kohli got away with an inside edge for four. In the next over, Holder set him up for the slower bouncer, which has brought him success with Kohli before, but this top edge sailed over for six. Then he smacked a full toss for four and fought with the umpires for a no-ball. The man was fighting every inch, hyper aware of everything.In the 13th over, Williams bowled two no-balls, but it was still obvious that Kohli was struggling for timing against him. Amid all this, Rahul drilled Khary Pierre straight to long-off. India still needed 78 off 39, and Kohli had only just begun to find his bearings.EndgameIndia promoted Rishabh Pant, which brought them double dividend. Apart from the right-left combination, it meant the legspinner Walsh didn’t bowl anymore. And Pant made sure of that with the first ball he faced, getting down on a knee and smacking Pierre for a six. Kohli fed off it, and went after Holder in the next over. Nineteen runs came off five balls, and at 55 required off 34, India’s win probability had gone from 27 to 73 according to Cricinfo’s forecaster.Trying big hits, Pant and Shreyas Iyer fell to keep West Indies interested but Kohli was never going to come back with the chase unfinished. Not on this night.

For a man usually so measured with his words, Shan Masood couldn’t help repeating himself. Looking ahead to the first Test against Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi – Pakistan’s first at home in over a decade – Masood stressed on the value of cricketers playing regularly at home, and the benefits he was sure it would bring for Pakistan cricket in both the short- and long-term.”If you look at the best players in Test cricket, their home records are superior to away records,” Masood said. “You are more familiar with the atmosphere, the pitches, and enjoy crowd support, and that was one thing that was missing from Pakistan cricket.ALSO READ: Unbeaten streaks and unexpected triumphs – Pakistan’s high points from 2009 to 2019“Bringing Test cricket here is our biggest accomplishment. Test cricket as a whole suffered around the world, and in Pakistan, we’ve dedicated more to white-ball cricket. This is an opportunity for children in Pakistan to have a proper look at Test cricket. They’ll look at people like Azhar Ali, who scored a 300 and a double-century in Australia. They’ll look at Asad Shafiq, who has scored hundreds all around the world. We’ve got exciting pacers like Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi. We’ve got Mohammad Abbas, who has been ranked No. 1 in the world, and Yasir Shah, who has been the No. 1 spinner in the world. Babar Azam is climbing up the Test rankings as well.”This is a chance for our young generation to finally watch their heroes and it was unfortunate that legends like Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan couldn’t play in their home grounds in the peak of their careers. So I’m really excited, because I feel this will propel Pakistan as a generation and the future generations of this country to take up cricket. It’s almost going to be like everyone is making their debuts, because we’re all playing in Pakistan for the first time.”He didn’t shy away from admitting that the recent tour of Australia was very disappointing, as Pakistan were swept 2-0, losing both games by an innings.”We played well in patches, but in this format you have to play well consistently over five days,” Masood, who was one of the better performers with the bat, said. “It’s a great time, but we have to ensure we don’t repeat the mistakes we made in Australia and nurture a winning culture. The tour to Australia was difficult. We all accept that. Our performances weren’t as good as we were expecting.”Australia have the experience of playing at home a lot, and we don’t play many Test matches as it is. If you look over the past few years, we’ve played no more than seven-eight Test matches in any year; Australia play closer to 15. Frequency of tours matters also. India visited Australia in 2014, last year and again next year. So if they’re going three times in five years, they become more accustomed to conditions. Let’s be patient. I feel when we play at home, we’ll see different performances, and the confidence of those performances will be reflected in away tours as well.”Shan Masood played the pull shot confidently•Associated Press

Masood may speak and sound like a senior player, and having made his debut six years ago, that shouldn’t be especially striking. But a glance at his record tells you the 29-year-old opener has only played 17 Test matches, with this being his sixth – and longest – stint. Before he played the first Test in Centurion last year, he had played 12 Test matches in five different spells. That security he appears to enjoy now has long been unfamiliar to him, and Masood feels his personal game is beginning to benefit.”When you play continuously, you learn from your mistakes. This year, I’ve played five Test matches on the trot,” he said. “While my career average is 27 [27.90], my average these past five Test matches is around 39 [38.40], so there has been an improvement. I’ll put my hand up and admit I had opportunities in South Africa and Australia where I didn’t capitalise on good starts. I want to perform where and when I get the opportunity.”When we don’t perform, I know how much it hurts our families, and the nation, since that’s who we’re representing. It is my job to take my average up to a level that top batsman should have.”In these last ten innings, Masood has only once been dismissed without reaching double figures, and has scored over 40% of his career Test runs these past 12 months. Note that these recent games have all come away from home against South Africa and Australia, arguably the two best bowling attacks in the world, and the prospect of Masood playing a leading role on the more familiar surfaces in Rawalpindi and Karachi begins to look likely.Masood, however, is taking nothing for granted. “No opposition is easy. Test cricket is played between the top 10-12 teams in the world. The added pressure or incentive is we’re playing for points in the World Test Championship,” he said. “We won’t take them lightly; they came here and won the T20 series and their Test side beat us in the UAE as well. They have Mickey Arthur [Pakistan’s former head coach] as well. We’re up for the challenge.”We lost in Australia but we have quite a few positives to take from it, and we played against probably the best bowling attack in the world. We learnt from our mistakes, and we’ll try to rectify them.”Most of all, however, he thanked Sri Lanka for giving Pakistan another chance and returning to play cricket in the country, despite being the team most affected by the security uncertainty that has so plagued the country’s hosting prospects.”On Wednesday in Rawalpindi, we’ll have a Test match in Pakistan after ten years, and for the first time in 15 in Rawalpindi. The country that suffered that terrible terrorist attack is the first one to come back. Hats off to the Sri Lankan boards and the Sri Lankan players for giving us this chance to host them.”

A new photo of Leon Goretzka from Bayern Munich training has left fans bemused on social media.

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Photo of Goretzka goes viralMidfielder appears to have lost muscleFans left bemused on social mediaWHAT HAPPENED?

A new photo of the German midfielder has gone viral on social media. In the image from Bayern Munich's pre-season training, the 29-year-old can be seen posing with his hands on his hips, looking like he's lost some muscle and hair.

AdvertisementWHAT THE FANS ARE SAYING

Under former Bayern boss Hansi Flick, Goretzka grew considerably bigger, causing some to say he'd undergone a 'Hulk'-like transformation. Some believe Flick's departure has sparked the reduction in size, with @cormacohallora2 writing: "Hansi flick left, he got him into that shape."

@Utdanoldt asked "Is this the same person", while @HKrtkovic was equally bemused, writing: "No way that's real."

"Bro lost all his aura," wrote @outXOftime, and @Bowmanator86 joked: "Had to play with Eric Dier."

GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The Germany international appeared in 30 matches across all competitions last season where he scored six goals and provided nine assists. However, despite his decent performance in club football, he was omitted from Julian Nagelsmann's 26-man squad for Euro 2024.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR BAYERN MUNICH?

Vincent Kompany's side will be next seen in action on Wednesday as they take on Rottach-Egern in their first pre-season friendly match.

Liverpool's search for a new manager has taken yet another twist as an update emerges on Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou.

Postecoglou enjoys brilliant debut season at Spurs

The former Celtic manager's arrival from Parkhead last summer was greeted with sceptisim at first, and rightly so, given Postecoglou hadn't managed in any of Europe's elite divisions at that point.

Club agree deal to sign Tottenham starlet with move secured ahead of summer

Spurs are set to lose a prodigy.

ByEmilio Galantini Mar 2, 2024

The 58-year-old's resume across spells in Asia and Scotland is actually pretty impressive. Postecoglou enjoyed plenty of success when it comes to winning trophies at Celtic, Brisbane Roar, Yokohoma F. Marinos and South Melbourne, but the tactician was untested in the 'big time'.

Australian first division x4

Brisbane Roar (2), South Melbourne (2)

Japanese first division x1

Yokohoma F. Marinos

Scottish Premiership x2

Celtic

Scottish League Cup x2

Celtic

Scottish Cup x1

Celtic

OFC Champions League x1

South Melbourne

Asia Cup x1

Australia

Putting that to bed, Postecoglou has won over the Spurs fanbase with an exciting style of football and look like serious contenders for Champions League qualification as things stand.

Tottenham's form and rejuvenated feel-good feeling around N17, which has largely been down to Postecogolou, also helped them beat the likes of Barcelona and Bayern Munich to the signings of Lucas Bergvall and Radu Dragusin in January.

Pundit Ian Wright had called Postecoglou "underrated" for the brilliant job he's done since making the move from up north to London. "It’s underrated,” said Wright on Premier League productions [via HITC].

“It’s an underrated effort he is doing, at the minute. Major Ange Postecoglou fans. I remember people saying at the start that ‘he needs to start well’. With the players he has got, you want them to do well and win some games and stuff. But I didn’t expect it to be in the grove it is now and so quickly.

“Not just physically, but mentally as well. They know what they are doing – we are looking at a team that we know that will improve."

However, as Postecoglou's reputation grows, so does the likelihood of big clubs attempting to poach him. Jurgen Klopp is confirmed to be leaving Anfield at the end of the season, and Liverpool have been linked with a move for Spurs' head coach.

Ange makes Tottenham decision in Liverpool manager search

Writing for Football Insider, journalist Wayne Veysey claims Postecoglou has made a final decision on his Tottenham future amid interest from Liverpool. In a boost for Spurs, it is believed he will reject any offers to leave N17 this summer, including from Merseyside.

"Postecoglou has no intention of quitting Tottenham this summer, for Liverpool or any other club," explained Veysey.

"He is “happy and comfortable” at the Londoner, and grateful for the backing he has had since taking over, as well as the opportunity to make a big mark in the Premier League at an elite club.

"Postecoglou is said to be totally invested in the project at Spurs and to continue the hugely impressive work of his debut campaign."

MatériaMais Notícias

Na noite da próxima terça-feira, 01, o Vasco enfrenta o Boavista, no estádio Elcyr Resende, às 21h30, em partida válida pelo jogo de ida da terceira fase da Copa do Brasil.Nesta fase, não há o gol qualificado. Assim, em caso de empate na soma dos placares do confronto, o time que avança na competição será conhecido na disputa de pênaltis.

>Começou o Brasileirão! Conheça o aplicativo de resultados do LANCE!

RelacionadasVascoQuanto pesa a ausência de Marquinhos Gabriel no baixo desempenho recente do Vasco?Vasco30/05/2021VascoHoje no Atlético-GO, Fernando Miguel comenta saída do Vasco: ‘Quem se expõe mais é responsabilizado’Vasco30/05/2021VascoAntes da estreia na Série B, Vasco rende homenagem a Nelson SargentoVasco29/05/2021

A partida é importante para o Gigante da Colina não só buscar reencontrar o bom futebol, mas também pela questão financeira. A premiação por avançar às oitavas de final da competição é de R$ 2,7 milhões.

> Veja a tabela da terceira fase da Copa do Brasil

O Boavista, por sua vez, fará a primeira partida oficial desde o dia 24 de abril, quando foi derrotado pela Portuguesa por 4 a 2, em jogo válido pela 11ª rodada da Taça Guanabara. Este, inclusive, é o último compromisso do Verdão de Saquarema antes de estrear na Série D do Brasileirão, no próximo domingo, contra o São Bento.

FICHA TÉCNICA
BOAVISTA X VASCO

Data e Hora: 01/06/2021, às 21h30
Local: Elcyr Resende, em Saquarema (RJ)
Árbitro:Paulo Roberto Alves Junior (PR)
Assistentes: Ivan Carlos Bohn(PR) e Sidmar dos Santos Meurer (PR)
Onde ver: Sportv, Premiere e tempo real do LANCE!

BOAVISTA (Técnico: Leandrão)
Kléver; Wisney, Victor Pereira, Gustavo Geladeira e Jean Victor; Douglas Pedroso, Ralph e Igor César (Caio Felipe); Jefferson Renan, Marquinhos e Michael Douglas.

Pendurados: Jean Victor.
Desfalques: Fernando Bob (expulso contra o Picos).

VASCO (Técnico: Marcelo Cabo)
Vanderlei, Léo Matos, Ernando, Ricardo Graça (Miranda) e Zeca; Andrey (Juninho) e Galarza (Romulo); Léo Jabá, Morato e Gabriel Pec (Sarrafiore); Cano.

Pendurados: Zeca
Desfalques:Leandro Castan, MT e Marquinhos Gabriel

PALPITES
Na redação do LANCE!, 50% das pessoas que votaram acreditam no empate, 25% na vitória do Boavista e os outros 25% estão confiantes no triunfo do Vasco.

Paris Saint-Germain have emerged as favourites to land Joao Neves from Benfica, according to a new report.

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• PSG make major bid for Neves
• Set to offer Benfica a €70m bid
• Will also include players in the deal

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Neves has been in demand this summer for multiple clubs after impressing in Portugal with Benfica. However, as per Fabrizio Romano, PSG have now emerged as the frontrunners for the 19-year-old's signature.

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• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Romano reports that PSG have made a bid of €70 million (£59m/$75.9m) for the Portuguese midfielder and are also going to include multiple players in the deal with Benfica's demands currently being much higher. Renato Sanches could be one of the players included in the transfer.

• getty images
  

  DID YOU KNOW?

  As per Portuguese outlet A Bola, Neves will sign a five-year deal with the Ligue 1 champions and will earn a reported annual salary of €5 million (£4.2m/$5.4m), with the youngster is expected to become a starter for Luis Enrique's new-look side.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR NEVES?

  The Portugal international has not yet started pre-season with Benfica following his Euro 2024 campaign with Portugal and if PSG strike quickly it is possible that he will start his preseason with the French side.

Chelsea's erratic strategy in the transfer market was always going to be a risky manoeuvre, especially given the huge influx of new players arriving at Stamford Bridge.

Players such as Cole Palmer, Enzo Fernández and Moises Caicedo have all made a positive impact at the club since arriving despite their hefty transfer fees.

Fernandez and Caicedo both cost the club over £100m in deals that broke the English transfer record, but have proved to be money well spent under boss Mauricio Pochettino.

It would be harsh to question Todd Boehly's ambition with his spending since the takeover. However, one thing that can be questioned is the erratic nature of the spending – with many players failing to match up with the hefty fees spent on them.

One player, in particular, has failed to live up to expectations after his own big-money move to join the club, with the £75m man only featuring a handful of times because of his relentless injury problems.

Wesley Fofana's record since joining Chelsea

During his nearly two-year stint at Stamford Bridge, 23-year-old centre-back Wesley Fofana has only made 20 appearances for the club, after multiple injury struggles.

The defender made his debut in the 2-1 win against West Ham United in September 2022, before suffering a serious knee injury in his second outing against Crystal Palace.

Fofana was subsequently ruled out until February, with the Frenchman making his return during the 1-0 defeat at home to Southampton. He enjoyed a good run in the Blues side before the end of the 2022/23 campaign, before another injury setback during pre-season back in August.

Wesley Fofana's injury history at Chelsea

Injury

Days missed

Games missed

Knee injury

71

17

Knee injury

55

9

ACL tear

250

41

Stats via Transfermarkt

His awful run of injuries saw the defender suffer a fresh setback, as he suffered another serious blow and underwent surgery to repair his ruptured ACL.

Fofana hasn't featured at all during the 2023/24 season, with the defender still recovering from his latest injury setback which he suffered in pre-season.

Pochettino confirmed that the 23-year-old wouldn't feature for the Blues before the current campaign is over, with the former Leicester City defender aiming to return ahead of the start of the 2024/25 season in August.

Wesley Fofana's market value in 2024

After joining the club for £75m, his value has taken a nose dive given his extended period on the sidelines.

Although he joined the club with real potential, the centre-back, who was touted to be the next Virgil Van Dijk by former boss Brendan Rodgers, hasn't hit the levels expected due to injury, with the 23-year-old's market value taking a huge hit.

Fofana – who Rodgers said was "showing very similar [qualities] to what [Virgil] van Dijk was at Celtic" – is now only valued at £27m, as per Transfermarkt, a decrease of roughly 64% on the figure the club paid for him less than two years ago.

Whilst you could argue that it is harsh to blame Chelsea for his injury issues, Fofana missed a staggering 72 matches through injury during his time with Leicester, which shows that the warning signs were there.

First Impressions

What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast's 'First Impressions' series has everything you need.

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He's proved to be a huge "waste of money", as dubbed by Dutch legend Wesley Sneijder, with Fofana also taking home a weekly wage of £200k-per-week, which sees him rake in £10.4m every season.

Given all the stats behind his failed move, Pochettino and the board should look to offload the Frenchman, with his value and wages going a long way to help the club in their battle against FFP.

The Australia captain day-night Test cricket needs to accepted as a key part of the game’s future

Daniel Brettig in Adelaide02-Dec-2019Australia’s captain Tim Paine has called for an end to demands for a pink Test match ball that behaves identically to a red one, arguing that the players and followers needed to accept floodlit long-form cricket for the high drawing entertainment product that it is.Paine’s team defeated Pakistan by an innings and 48 runs in front of 91,879 people at Adelaide Oval and healthy broadcast audiences around Australia, with the attendance more than double that of the first Test at the Gabba in Brisbane, despite far less favourable weather conditions.These facts have underlined the case for pink-ball cricket, something the Cricket Australia chief executive Kevin Roberts had magnified by quipping in Brisbane that he would personally like to see Australia’s Test series against India next summer played exclusively as day-night matches. But in the face of some scepticism still remaining among his players – Mitchell Starc stating that the pink ball behaves more like a white ball – Paine argued that the floodlit game’s challenges and subtleties needed to be seen on their own merit.”I think what we want is people watching Test match cricket and I think the pink-ball day-night Test certainly makes that happen,” Paine said. “It’s bringing new people to the game. I think what we need to stop doing is trying to compare the pink ball to the red ball. It’s not going to behave the same, it isn’t the same ball. And from a players’ point of view again, day-night Test cricket creates different challenges so the best players will again find way to succeed. And Mitchell Starc has done it. His record is unbelievably good with the pink ball.”David Warner has just got a triple century. Marnus got a 100. All the good players still score runs and take wickets regardless of the colour I think it’s just a slight shift in how we think about it. It’s not going to behave like a red ball, it’s not going to behave like a white ball. It’s going to behave like a pink ball. And at the moment it’s relatively new and we’re getting used to it. It can be challenging fielding at night and being in the slips but I don’t think that’s any different to a white ball sometimes either.David Warner calls loudly to his partner•Getty Images

“It’s just something players will adapt to and get better at but in terms of the product I think it’s good to watch.”One of the changes wrought by the day-night conditions was Paine’s decision to enforce the follow-on well after he would usually have batted a second time, due to the fact the post-dinner session promised more movement and assistance for the pace bowlers. “If we had taken the wickets quickly we would’ve bowled as well,” Paine said. “We were hoping to get them a lot quicker than we did.”In the end it became a close one because had it been a red ball we probably would’ve batted again had it been a normal Test match, but it took us time to get those wickets so then the night session was coming again and we saw a few years ago against England that the game can change really quickly under the lights. A lead of close to 300, only a few hours to bowl, we knew if our bowlers could take a couple of early wickets and we get them home, get them asleep and rested that they’d come back and fire for us today.”It was getting closer to having a bat, but the conditions have certainly favoured bowling at night and a couple of our batters were pretty keen to keep bowling. I thought last night when the lights came on it was a pretty simple decision, although our bowlers had bowled a lot of overs, they had a decent rest for the first two days so we knew they had plenty in the tank.”CA is yet to enter into formal discussions with India about whether their series in Australia next summer will include one or more pink-ball Test matches, though both Roberts and the CA chairman Earl Eddings have commented positively about the fact the BCCI have at last scheduled a home pink-ball Test, the recent match against Bangladesh in Kolkata.

Tottenham Hotspur moved into the top four in the Premier League on Sunday with an emphatic 3-1 win over Nottingham Forest in North London.

The Lilywhites did not make it easy in the first half, as Chris Wood levelled the scores after an own goal from Murillo had handed the hosts the lead.

However, a superb second half display from Ange Postecoglou's team ensured that they picked up all three points, thanks to terrific goals from Micky van de Ven and Pedro Porro.

The Australian head coach made a bold call at half-time as he opted to take Pape Matar Sarr and Yves Bissouma off for Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Rodrigo Bentancur, and it turned out to be a masterclass as Spurs went on to win the match.

Postecoglou must now brutally ditch Sarr from the starting XI for the team's next game against Newcastle United in the Premier League on Saturday.

Why Pape Matar Sarr should be dropped

The Senegal international has emerged as a key player for Tottenham this season, and has been described as a "top-class" box-to-box midfielder by talent scout Jacek Kulig.

However, the 21-year-old star was far from at his best and his disappointing first half display led to Postecoglou withdrawing him from the game at the break.

Pape Matar Sarr

Vs Nottingham Forest

23/24 Premier League (per game)

Sofascore rating

6.6

7.01

Dribbles completed

0

0.6

Key passes

0

0.6

Duels won

1

2.8

Duel success rate

33%

48%

Pass accuracy

84%

88%

Long ball accuracy

0%

68%

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Sarr was not as effective in or out of possession as he usually is in the Premier League, with a lower duel success rate and pass completion rate.

The talented whiz also had fewer touches (22) than goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario (47), who also made five saves and prevented 0.40 xG, as he struggled to influence the game during the first 45 minutes.

The player who could replace Pape Matar Sarr

Hojbjerg came on to replace the young midfielder and produced a fantastic second half performance, which suggests that Postecoglou should brutally ditch Sarr from the XI to make way for the Dane against Newcastle.

The former Southampton star showcased his quality in and out of possession throughout the second 45 minutes to help Spurs to come away with a 3-1 win.

He won 50% (2/4) of his duels – a 27% higher success rate than Sarr's – and made two interceptions to cut out opposition attacks before Vicario's goal was troubled.

Hojbjerg, who recorded a Sofascore rating of 7.3, also completed 88% of his attempted passes and 100% (3/3) of his long ball attempts throughout his time on the pitch.

These statistics show that the Denmark international offered more on and off the ball than Sarr during the clash with Forest, as he won a higher percentage of his physical duels and was more efficient in possession at finding his teammates with his passes.

Therefore, Postecoglou should brutally drop the former Metz midfielder, who could not muster up more touches than a goalkeeper against the Tricky Trees, and unleash Hojbjerg in his place next weekend.

Glasgow Rangers know that eight wins from their final eight Premiership fixtures will ensure they win a first league title since the 2020/21 campaign.

They welcome Celtic to Ibrox on Sunday for the third Old Firm derby clash of the season, and it is arguably the most important match of 2023/24 thus far.

Philippe Clement led the Gers to a comfortable 3-1 victory over Hibernian during their last league match, but the memo is clear ahead of tomorrow – three points are all that matters.

The manager could have Ridvan Yilmaz available for the vital league clash, while Abdallah Sima will have a big part to play. The question is, will he start? Or have to make do with a cameo appearance.

With that in mind, here's a look at who Clement could unleash against Celtic at Ibrox in a mammoth Old Firm clash, with three potential changes from the win over Hibs…

1 GK – Jack Butland

No surprises here. Butland has played in every single Premiership, European and League Cup match for the club this season, missing just a single game, a Scottish Cup clash against Dumbarton.

In his two Old Firm appearances this season, Butland has conceded three goals, but he will be hoping to record his first-ever clean sheet against Celtic at Ibrox on Sunday, and it could prove to be a pivotal moment in the title race.

2 RB – James Tavernier

The long-serving captain continued his fine goalscoring streak in the top flight against Hibs last week, scoring for the third domestic game in succession, and he will be hoping to make it four in a row tomorrow.

Tavernier already has a goal against Celtic this term, scoring the consolation in the 2-1 defeat in December. Across 34 matches in his career, the Englishman has scored five goals and grabbed six assists against Celtic.

The former Wigan Athletic man has won just nine Old Firm matches since joining Rangers in 2015. Win number ten would be special indeed.

3 CB – Connor Goldson

The defender is Clement’s first-choice centre-back, and he will be making his 25th Old Firm appearance on Sunday.

Goldson scored a double against Celtic in October 2020 during the Light Blues' wonderful unbeaten run and another goal on Sunday could go a long way for the club to secure all three points and give them a massive boost in the title race.

4 CB – John Souttar

Like Goldson, Souttar has also scored in an Old Firm derby. The defender headed in the second goal during an eventual 3-0 victory over Celtic last May, yet Ange Postecoglou's side had already won the title, rendering the match slightly uncompetitive.

The Scot has formed a solid partnership with Goldson at the heart of the defence recently and if they can prevent any mistakes from creeping into their games, then a clean sheet is certainly a possibility.

5 LB – Ridvan Yilmaz

During his pre-match press conference, Clement stated that he would wait until closer to the match to assess whether Yilmaz was ready or not.

“Ridvan not sure yet, we will see tomorrow and make a decision.” Said Clement on Friday, and he will be hoping the Turkish gem is ready to go.

Since the end of December, the £5m defender has started ten league matches and is one of the club’s most consistent performers of late.

6 CM – John Lundstram

The midfielder will bring a lot of experience to the Old Firm clash and this could certainly settle the nerves of Mohamed Diomande, who will be his partner in the middle of the pitch.

Lundstram has won just three games against Celtic since joining in the summer of 2021, but he will be expecting this record to change between now and the end of the campaign.

7 CM – Mohamed Diomande

Being thrown into the Old Firm cauldron either makes or breaks a player, but Diomande has shown plenty of mettle since arriving in Glasgow back in January.

The 22-year-old has already featured 11 times for the Gers, scoring twice and has settled into the first-team squad with ease. If he can operate at his very best against Celtic, then they could find it hard to prevent him from making runs from deep.

8 RW – Dujon Sterling

While Clement finally has options out wide again, it should be Sterling who is given the nod to start. Scott Wright has not been great recently, while Ross McCausland could be an ideal option to come off the bench late in the game.

Sterling has typically been used in the midfield or defence this term, but has slotted in as a right-winger once, scoring against Benfica, proving he can handle the pressure.

9 AM – Todd Cantwell

The 26-year-old scored against Celtic in the final derby match of last season but has failed to add to his tally in the subsequent two games.

With six goals and five assists thus far in 2023/24, Cantwell has shown a keen eye for goal while operating in an attacking midfield role and Clement will be hoping he can maintain this form heading into the clash on Sunday.

10 LW – Abdallah Sima

While Fabio Silva has not done much wrong during his spell on the left wing, the return of Sima is a huge boost for the team.

The on-loan winger has scored 15 goals throughout the season, despite missing 13 games due to a hamstring injury suffered on international duty. There is no doubt he can cause the Celtic defence plenty of problems.