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Harris will open with Warner in the first Ashes Test, says the chief selector

Alex Malcolm17-Nov-2021There will be no bat-off for the final batting spot in Australia’s side for the first Ashes Test at the Gabba, despite both Usman Khawaja and Travis Head being named in the 15-man squad.The two men will face each other in a Sheffield Shield contest starting next week in Adelaide and are set to play in Australia’s three-day intra-squad game in Brisbane on December 1. But chairman of selectors George Bailey confirmed that the selection panel was already leaning towards one of the two for the final middle-order spot, which Matthew Wade had filled when Australia last played Test cricket, back in January.Related

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“We’re leaning towards one of them,” Bailey said on Wednesday. “But, you know, the whole purpose I guess of naming a squad is to have a squad there. So, we’ll work through that much closer to the start of the first Test.”Bailey joked with the media on Wednesday, holding firm as he was pressed to name one of the two left-handers for the opening Test. “No,” Bailey said when asked which player he favoured. “You’d have nothing to write about tomorrow then. I want to see where you guys lean. Have a crack at it. It’d make the Shield game much more exciting next week.”Khawaja has the hot hand coming off Shield scores of 174, 119, 70 and 8 in his last three matches. He did receive a huge slice of luck in that 174 against South Australia when he should have been given out caught at gully on 13, but thereafter he has been in sublime touch. His 70 out of 129 on a green day-one pitch at the Gabba against Ashes squad member Jhye Richardson was as good as any domestic innings played this summer.Head started this season with 163 in a Shield game and 230 in a 50-over Marsh Cup game, but both came at the batting paradise of Karen Rolton Oval in Adelaide. Since then, he has returned scores 55, 23, 9, 21, and 14 at three Test venues, but Bailey was not concerned about his form.”You never want to be trying to pick someone out of form, but I don’t think there’s a body of evidence to suggest that Travis is out of form,” Bailey said. “I actually think they are both still batting beautifully.”Khawaja will turn 35 in December while Head will turn 28. Bailey did note that the age difference was hard to ignore completely, but felt it was not a major influence on their decision-making.”Try not to,” Bailey said. “There’s no doubt that’s one of many, many factors. But I think certainly for the here and now of winning this Ashes series, it’s not particularly relevant.”Harris will open with Warner
Bailey ended any speculation around Marcus Harris’ place at the top of the order, confirming that he would open with David Warner.”I really like Marcus Harris,” Bailey said. “He’s done everything that we’re asking in terms of scoring a mountain of domestic runs. He’s gone away, he’s had a really good, strong winter playing for Leicester as well. So he just continues to do all the right things domestically.”We’d love nothing more than being able to back him in and give him an extended run up at the top of the order. We know how important opening partnerships are, trying to forge a really strong relationship with Davey at the top is really important for our Test team.”Head and Khawaja will face each other in a Sheffield Shield contest starting next week in Adelaide•Getty ImagesIt means the intra-squad game will not be used as a Hunger Games-style trial as it was ahead of the 2019 Ashes series, when Cameron Bancroft came from the clouds to work his way into the first Test side after not being initially selected in the Australia A squad that toured England prior to the Ashes.”The squad is locked in,” Bailey said. “I don’t envisage that game being used as a selection tool. I think it’s very much about preparation.”No place for Mitch Marsh
That means there is no room in the Test side for Mitchell Marsh despite his stunning T20I form that culminated in a Player-of-the-Match performance at the World Cup final. But he has been named in the Australia A squad.”I think T20 and Test cricket are about as far removed as you can get from a cricket format,” Bailey said. “So we’ve just got to be really careful about necessarily assuming that the one will lead to the other but what I said about Mitch the other day, and I’ll say it again, is one, just how thrilled we are for him to have had the World Cup that he did and obviously to finish with the game he did in the final was just superb, and great reward.”I think we should be seeing the best of Mitchell Marsh for the coming years. So really excited about what he can produce, and we know he can play at the Test level.”Another man who is missing from both the Australia and Australia A squads is Moises Henriques. He was picked in Australia’s last Test squad that was due to tour South Africa before the tour was abandoned and played in all 13 of Australia’s T20Is and ODIs in the two tours of the Caribbean and Bangladesh. But he hasn’t been able to play any domestic cricket so far this summer due to a late arrival home from the IPL to avoid quarantine.”I’ve been in good contact with Mo,” Bailey said. “He knows that not being here as part of the A squad is not necessarily the end for him. We know he’s a quality player and he’s been particularly consistent.”

Unbeaten life in a post-Erik ten Hag world continued for Manchester United following their 1-1 draw at Old Trafford against Chelsea. There have been exciting games in the 4:30pm slot this season, yet a final, action-packed 20 minutes ensured it did not end up as the dire 0-0 it seemed destined to be.

United took the lead in the 70th minute, with Rasmus Hojlund cleverly winning a penalty, brought down by Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez. Red Devils skipper Bruno Fernandes made no mistake from 12 yards to give United a lead.

There were just four minutes and 19 seconds between United’s goal and Chelsea’s equaliser, which came courtesy of Moises Caicedo. The Ecuadorian midfielder struck a volley sweetly from the edge of the penalty box, and it nestled into the back of the net past Andre Onana.

There were some chances to win it late on for both sides, but the game eventually petered out in a 1-1 draw. Although the standard of the game was quite underwhelming on the whole, there were still some standout performers for United.

United’s best performers vs. Chelsea

Undoubtedly the standout player for the Red Devils at Old Trafford was defender Noussair Mazraoui. The Morrocco international has played at right-back for much of the season but started on Sunday at left-back and did not look out of place. He defended well against the dangerous Noni Madueke and was impressive going forward.

He received a 7/10 rating from the Manchester Evening News’ chief United correspondent Samuel Luckhurst, the highest of the day. He was praised for being the Red Devils’ ‘only good performer’ in a poor first half overall.

Another player who stood out against Enzo Maresca’s side was Fernandes. It has been a poor start to the season for the talismanic United midfielder, but he has been much more his usual self in the last two games, scoring a good penalty and showing his creative side.

The Portugal international has some impressive stats, courtesy of Sofascore. The 30-year-old created four chances against the Blues and won an impressive nine from 14 ground duels. It was certainly a good showing from the United skipper.

As good as both Mazraoui and Fernandes were against Chelsea, there were some disappointing performers in a United shirt. Alejandro Garnacho was one player who struggled.

Garnacho’s stats vs. Chelsea

After a fast start to the season for Garnacho, he put in a lacklustre performance against the West London side. It was not for lack of trying. The 20-year-old’s effort cannot be faulted. However, his decision-making was frustrating at times, and he wasted some big chances.

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The Argentina international had two huge opportunities which could have snatched all three points for his side. The first one saw him well teed up by Fernandes, with lots of time and space to pick his spot. However, Garnacho could only send a soft shot into the gloves of Sanchez.

The second was tougher, a first-time volley which sailed over the bar, but perhaps a pass would have been the better option.

His stats show just how poor Garnacho’s performance was. The youngster had just 42 touches, fewer even than Onana. He managed to complete just 76% of his passes and completed one of four dribbles. Off the ball, the winger won just one from nine attempted duels.

Touches

42

Pass accuracy

76%

Passes completed

19/25

Dribbles completed

1/4

Ground duels won

1/6

Aerial duels won

0/3

Possession lost

11x

Shockingly, Luckhurst gave him a 4/10 rating for his efforts against the Blues. He described Garnacho’s afternoon as ‘possibly his weakest performance of the season’, criticising him for the underhit chances he had.

It was a tired performance from the winger, who has played lots of football this season already. With two games left of Ruud van Nistelrooy’s interim spell, he may well decide to rotate the 20-year-old out of the side.

The likes of Amad Diallo are knocking on the door for a start, and that is something the legendary Dutchman might do to freshen things up.

Saved by Bruno: 5/10 Man Utd star really let Van Nistelrooy down v Chelsea

Manchester United were held by Chelsea during Van Nistelrooy’s second game at the helm.

ByJoe Nuttall Nov 3, 2024

Former England batter won title with Perth Scorchers in 2016-17

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Nov-2021Ian Bell was a Big Bash champion with Perth Scorchers in 2016-17 but returns to the league five seasons later hoping to inspire Hobart Hurricanes to the title.Bell retired from professional cricket at the end of the English domestic season in 2020 and has moved into coaching: he worked with England Under-19s as a batting coach across the 2019-20 winter and was part of Birmingham Phoenix’s coaching staff during their run to the inaugural men’s Hundred final this summer.He has now been appointed as one of two assistant coaches at the Hurricanes ahead of their BBL season opener on December 8 against Sydney Sixers, the defending champions, and has arrived in Australia following a stint with Chennai Braves in the Abu Dhabi T10 League.”I’m so excited to be joining up with the Hurricanes and working alongside Adam Griffith,” Bell said. “The Big Bash is without doubt one of the best competitions in world cricket, and having previously taken part as a player, I can’t wait to get stuck in as a coach.”Bell captained Warwickshire in their T20 guise as the Birmingham Bears during the 2016 Blast, during which Matthew Wade, the Hurricanes’ captain, was one of their overseas players, while two of the Hurricanes’ three international recruits – Jordan Thompson and Harry Brook – are compatriots.”I already know a great deal about the team having either played with them before or having admired them from afar, and I’m certain we have got some serious talent in there,” Bell said. “I was fortunate enough to win the BBL as a player and I would love nothing more than to be a small cog in a winning team but this time as a coach.”

Renee Slegers' side strengthened their position in the bid for a Champions League place with their 15th win in 18 games under her charge

Arsenal cruised to victory in the north London derby on Sunday, beating Tottenham 5-0 to increase their cushion inside the Women's Super League's European places to five points. Were it not for Spurs goalkeeper Lize Kop, it could've been an even more convincing victory, with the visiting side constantly under pressure at the back while failing to muster up any sort of attacking threat. The Gunners, meanwhile, took full advantage of their dominance, with goals from Mariona Caldentey, Frida Maanum, Alessia Russo and Emily Fox, plus an own goal by Clare Hunt, seeing them assert themselves as the best team in north London again.

There were just 15 minutes on the clock when Kyra Cooney-Cross' perfect delivery was missed by Russo but bounced in off Hunt, with Caldentey's caressed strike into the bottom corner later in the first half doubling Arsenal's advantage in more eye-catching fashion. The Gunners didn't let up after the break, though, adding another two before the hour as Maanum's shot deflected in off Hunt, continuing her misfortune, before Russo got a deserved goal after a swift counter-attack.

Things quietened down for the rest of the game, though there was still plenty for the 56,784 inside the Emirates Stadium to get excited about before the full-time whistle sounded. Chloe Kelly's second Arsenal debut, which came after she'd already sparked the stadium into generous applause just by going out to warm-up, was the cherry on the cake for a side that has now won 15 of its 18 games since Renee Slegers took charge in mid-October, with the return from injury of captain Kim Little also an encouraging sight as the Gunners approach an extremely important part of the season.

Those who stuck around until the end did get to see the goal of the game in stoppage time, too, as Emily Fox picked out the top corner from range to round off a truly fantastic day for the hosts.

GOAL rates Arsenal's players from the Emirates Stadium…

Getty ImagesGoalkeeper & Defence

Daphne van Domselaar (6/10):

Had very little to do against a Spurs side that just couldn't get anything going in attack.

Emily Fox (8/10):

Did brilliantly to be such an asset in attack without neglecting her defensive work. Capped a strong display with a sensational strike from range in stoppage time.

Leah Williamson (7/10):

Grew into the game and started to step up more to play those great pass from deep. Was composed at the back when she needed to be, too.

Steph Catley (7/10):

Another really reliable performance in the heart of defence. She's in great form.

Katie McCabe (7/10):

Got herself into dangerous positions so often that she was able to cause a whole host of problems, even if her final ball wasn't always brilliant.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesMidfield

Lia Walti (8/10):

Kept the ball well, showed great movement and was, again, the perfect foil for Cooney-Cross.

Kyra Cooney-Cross (8/10):

Delivered great set pieces and a superb cross for the first goal, amid a range of other really nice attacking contributions.

Frida Maanum (7/10):

Was really efficient when she got on the ball, with every touch a valuable one in the Arsenal attack.

Getty ImagesAttack

Caitlin Foord (7/10):

Was a consistent nuisance to the Spurs defence. Could've made better decisions at times, including when she was through on goal but looked to be unselfish, though that wasn't an issue for Arsenal's fourth, when she waited for the right moment to tee up Russo.

Alessia Russo (9/10):

Really positive performance in which she was always trying to turn her marker and create a chance for herself or someone else. Didn't get a touch on the opening goal but her movement across Hunt played a huge role in it, with her finally getting her goal to make it 4-0.

Mariona Caldentey (8/10):

Involved in so much of Arsenal's good play and got a deserved goal with a superb finish to make it 2-0.

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Getty ImagesSubs & Manager

Stina Blackstenius (6/10):

Was immediately involved after coming on on the hour, forcing Kop into another save almost straight away before linking up with Kelly in a move that ended with the Swede seeing her effort deflect behind for a corner.

Chloe Kelly (6/10):

Was positive in her half-hour cameo, creating a chance within minutes for Blackstenius.

Laia Codina (N/A):

Gave Catley a rest for the final 15 minutes. Slotted in seamlessly.

Kim Little (N/A):

Made her return from injury in the closing stages, getting some valuable minutes in the legs after missing the last three games.

Jenna Nighswonger (N/A):

Made her WSL debut in the final few minutes.

Renee Slegers (8/10):

Slegers' biggest impact at Arsenal since taking over in mid-October is arguably in these games that the team should win, but regularly failed to do so because of their inability to break down low blocks. This was another example of how well she has helped them conquer that issue. Big scoreline allowed her to give some players a rest, too, and hand Kelly her second Arsenal debut.

Sunderland have long been on the hunt for a new prolific striker to call their own, with their recent activity in the transfer market involving a centre-forward joining the ranks very mixed to say the least.

Last season, the Black Cats really struggled in the striker department as the likes of Mason Burstow and Nazariy Rusyn regularly fired blanks for the Championship club as new recruits, with the Ukranian only managing a pitiful two goals all season long in the second tier.

Now, however, Regis Le Bris will feel he’s found a solution to Sunderland’s woes up top in Wilson Isidor, who is setting the Championship alight on loan from Zenit St. Petersburg.

Isidor's form this season

The Wearside outfit had to be patient in their attempts to snap up the Frenchman in the summer transfer window, with a loan deal not agreed until near the tail-end of August.

But, their patience has more than been justified now, as their new star attacker has bagged four strikes from ten Championship appearances to date, including a wonderfully taken first-time strike rippling the back of the net against Oxford United last month.

There will be a concern that Isidor won’t put pen to paper on a permanent stay, however, leaving Sunderland back at square one again when it comes to lacking a potent finisher in their camp.

Arguably, Isidor has been the first bright spark up top Sunderland have managed to uncover since the exit of Ross Stewart, which hit the Black Cats hard at the time but could now be seen as a sale that was worthwhile after all.

Ross Stewart's transfer value in 2024

The Scotsman was a man possessed at points when leading the line for Sunderland, with the 28-year-old renowned for being a deadly goal machine at the Stadium of Light by the time of his departure last year.

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In total, the ex-Ross County man would bag a mightily impressive 40 goals from 80 games situated on Wearside, which included firing home the decisive winner in Sunderland’s 2-0 play-off final win over Wycombe in 2022, which saw second-tier football return to the beleaguered side.

23/24

Muscle injury

152 days

22/23

Achilles tendon surgery

282 days

22/23

Hamstring injury

93 days

19/20

Hamstring injury

62 days

As a result of his reputation growing as a clinical finisher in the EFL, Southampton purchased Stewart for £8m last summer after he bowed out from the club with ten goals during his final second-tier campaign, but injury issues also got in his way as can be seen glancing at the table above.

The Saints should have operated more cautiously when splashing the cash on the 28-year-old with hindsight on their side, with Stewart in and out of the St. Mary’s treatment room throughout his cursed time on the South Coast to date, with only four league games coming his way last season as his fitness problems began to take over.

Across nine appearances when he has been fit, he hasn’t exactly found his goalscoring mojo either, with Stewart yet to break his goalscoring duck for Southampton.

Consequently, Transfermarkt now values the one-time £8m buy in and around the £3.7m ballpark, as the Black Cats are now made to look smart for selling on their star striker when they did.

Still, Sunderland won’t take great pride in the fact their former “unbelievable” talisman – as he was once labelled by teammate Alex Pritchard – has struggled since moving to Southampton.

Rather, they’ll just hope Isidor can be the second coming of their prolific Scotsman, as promotion back up to the Premier League remains the ultimate goal for Le Bris’ men.

Sunderland had the original Chris Rigg but he ended up leaving for £0

Sunderland let their original version of Chris Rigg depart the Stadium of Light for nothing.

1 ByKelan Sarson Nov 1, 2024

Heat had been 6 for 77 before James Bazley lifted them to a defendable total

AAP and ESPNcricinfo staff 01-Jan-2022Xavier Bartlett bounced back from final-over heartache to help Brisbane Heat to a confidence-boosting 14-run win over the Hobart Hurricanes.Bartlett took a career-best 4 for 30 after the Heat earlier posted 8 for 150 on the back of some late lusty hitting from allrounder James Bazley who top-scored in tricky Bellerive Oval conditions with an unbeaten 44 from 27 deliveries at No. 8.Bartlett struck two big blows early in the chase, getting rid of in-form opener Ben McDermott after his back-to-back hundreds and skipper Matthew Wade in the second over.He returned for the power surge in the 14th over to remove Tim David and D’Arcy Short, who departed off a top edge for a sluggish 27 from 38 balls. Bartlett had bowled the final over in Heat’s two-wicket loss to the Sydney Sixers on Wednesday, conceding a single off the last delivery in a game they should have won.Mujeeb Ur Rahman was outstanding in the middle overs, picking up Harry Brook and Peter Handscomb to finish with 3 for 20 at an economy rate of five runs per over. Hurricanes’ middle order struggled to pick his variations with Jordan Thompson bowled by a carrom ball from around the wicket.Lower-order batter Tom Rogers gave Hurricanes a glimmer of hope in the final few overs but his side finished short.It was an impressive win by Heat who were in a spot of bother at 2 for 16 at the end of the powerplay after being sent in and later 6 for 77.Heat skipper Jimmy Peirson, who has struggled for runs this tournament, was out for 5 in the second over when he edged Meredith to Wade.Bazley shared a crucial 42-run stand with Jack Wildermuth, who hit 28 from 21 deliveries after being brought in as an X-factor player, and also bowled four overs that went for just 20 runs.Rogers earlier starred with the ball for the Hurricanes with 2 for 15 from four overs, while quick Nathan Ellis took 3 for 41 including the big wicket of Chris Lynn.

Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal side face a potential season-defining trip to face Chelsea in the Premier League this afternoon, looking to make amends after the last two outings.

The Gunners fell to a 1-0 defeat against Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United at St James’ Park last Saturday, before losing 1-0 again to Inter Milan at the San Siro in the Champions League.

Given the recent league defeat, this afternoon is a huge game for their title aspirations, needing vital points if they are to keep up with the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool.

However, the meeting with Enzo Maresca’s side will undoubtedly be a difficult one, with the Blues only tasting defeat twice in the Premier League so far this campaign.

Arteta will have a few huge calls to make ahead of the clash, potentially needing to freshen things up if they are to turn around their recent fortunes on the pitch.

Arteta’s squad dilemma ahead of Chelsea clash

Suspensions and injuries have constantly plagued the Arsenal squad throughout the early stages of the current campaign – resulting in various different changes in key positions.

William Saliba, Declan Rice and Leandro Trossard have all received red cards early on in the season, halting their progress and resulting in temporary fixes in key positions.

In his pre-match press conference, Arteta confirmed that Rice hasn’t trained this week after missing the Champions League clash in midweek – ensuring he could also be absent against his one-time employers.

Full-back Riccardo Calafiori has also missed the last couple of matches after suffering a knee injury in the Champions League win over Shakhtar Donetsk- with the Italian set to miss out once again this afternoon.

Many must be wishing that the Gunners had a fully strengthened squad, with the aforementioned duo undoubtedly playing a key role in keeping Chelsea danger man Cole Palmer quiet.

The Englishman already has 12 combined goals and assists in the Premier League this season, with most of the Blues’ big chances going through him so far this season.

However, Arteta has the opportunity to recall one player to the starting lineup to allow the Gunners to have their own version of the superstar talent.

The Arsenal ace who can terrorise Caicedo

Midfielder Martin Odegaard had been sidelined for the Gunners since the end of August after suffering an ankle injury on international duty with Norway.

However, the 25-year-old has made progress over the last couple of weeks, even featuring as a late substitute in Milan just a couple of days ago – undoubtedly pushing for a start this afternoon.

The “sensational” Odegaard, as dubbed by The Athletic’s Aaron Catterson-Reid, produced some phenomenal numbers last season, helping him win the club’s Player of the Year award as they narrowly missed out on the title.

Operating in that number ten berth, the former Real Madrid star mirrors his fellow left-footer, Palmer, in being the creative hub for his side, possessing that ability – again, like Palmer – to both score himself and also provide assists for those around him.

He achieved a total of 18 combined goal contributions, whilst creating a total of 102 chances for his teammates – the most of any Arsenal player last season – having the ability to run English record signing Moises Caicedo ragged throughout the encounter.

Games played

35

Goals & assists

18

Pass accuracy

81%

Chances created

102

Dribble success rate

50%

Duels won

125

Recoveries made

158

Possession won in the final third

41

The Ecuadorian likes to progress the play, but Odegaard last season achieved a total of 158 recoveries and won possession in the final third 41 times – demonstrating his relentless nature, which can cause the Blues man endless problems.

The clash at Stamford Bridge is a huge one for the Gunners’ title ambitions, if they lose then it massively derails their hopes of ending their two-decade for for a title.

Given the importance of the clash, Arteta must start Odegaard, with the Norwegian sensation having the ability to be a game-changer for his side throughout the meeting.

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ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 9, 2024

The NZ allrounder says he is only skipping the 2022 season, and hopes to feature in future editions of the tournament

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Feb-2022Kyle Jamieson opted out of the IPL auction in order to spend more time at home – and away from Covid-19 restrictions on tour – and to give himself a window in which to work on his game with an eye towards firming up his spot in the New Zealand side across formats. The fast-bowling allrounder revealed this during a media interaction on the eve of Auckland’s Plunket Shield opener against Northern Districts, which is set to begin on Friday.”Yeah, look, there were a couple of things for me,” Jamieson said, when asked why he hadn’t put his name on the IPL’s auction list. “Firstly, after the last 12 months, it’s had its challenges with MIQs (managed isolation and quarantine) and bubbles and spending a fair amount of time in that sort of set-up. It was important for me, when I look at the schedule coming up over the next 12 months to try and find six weeks or eight weeks where I can spend some time at home.”The second thing for me was, reflecting over the last 12-24 months and understanding that I’m very young in my [international] career and only two years in, that I wanted to have time to work on my game. I guess I didn’t really feel like I was where I wanted to be and if I want to compete for spots in the New Zealand sides moving forward across all three formats, I actually need to spend time working on my game and not just trying to play the whole time. Yeah, for me it was just about time at home and just time to work on my game.”Jamieson said he was only skipping the 2022 season of the IPL for now, and hoped he would be able to feature in future editions of the tournament.”I guess it was [a difficult decision] initially,” he said. “I sat with it for a fair while, and it was kind of lucky I had a couple of months in bubbles to sit in my room and have a think, but once I’d made the decision, it was a bit of a weight off my shoulder in a way, in terms of just focusing on myself and trying to get better.”I’m still pretty young, I still think I’m young at 27 and I’ve still got a few years ahead, so this is just for this year and looking at what the next 12 months will look like, and hopefully moving forward there will be more opportunities to try and dip my toes into that environment.”Jamieson was the second-most-expensive buy at the 2021 auction, with Royal Challengers Bangalore signing him for INR 15 crore (USD 2 million approx). After that experience – which he had termed “surreal” – he went on to have a difficult first season for the Royal Challengers, playing nine of their 15 games and taking nine wickets while conceding 9.60 runs per over, the highest economy rate of all their bowlers to have bowled in at least five innings.”I don’t think it’s either good or bad, it’s just another learning, another experience to have, and just trying to learn from situations,” he said, when asked for his thoughts on that season. “Look, it certainly changed my life and yeah, it was a big moment that happened, but I guess just trying to learn from that, learn from the experience I had in the IPL, and more so the 12 months in general, and I guess some of the restrictions we had around cricket.”It’s been good in a way to sit back over these last couple of weeks and over the last couple of months to reflect on the 12 months that have gone and take that stuff into the next couple of Tests (against South Africa) and into the next couple of months moving forward.”A year on from that life-changing auction, Jamieson says he is more aware of his own game as a T20 cricketer.”Look, you see different situations in a game. I think I can kind of read them a little bit better. I have an understanding of where my game is at and how that matches up, but then also a fair bit around what I need to work on. I think just having been around a fair bit of T20 cricket over the last 12 months has actually been pretty good and given me some good learnings and good stuff to reflect on to how I use that April-May period to try and work on my game.”

Contract-related issues may heap misery on the red half of Merseyside next summer, but there’s more than a fighting chance that, should that happen, it will be in the wake of trophy-clinching success.

Liverpool have got off to a flyer under Arne Slot this season, five points clear at the top of the Premier League and first in the Champions League group phase too. There’s so much excitement crackling around Anfield right now, with fans giddy at the thought of crowning a new era with the highest of triumphs.

Should any or all of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk truly be playing out their final campaign at Liverpool, it will be a big blow without a doubt. But, FSG, though they certainly have their shortcomings, have placed the Reds in a providential position.

Everything points toward a cemented place at the forefront of domestic and European football over the coming years, and with youngsters such as Ben Doak breaking through, such pointers might be on the money.

Ben Doak's prosperous future

Currently plying his football out on loan with Middlesbrough in the Championship, Doak is honing his craft away from Slot’s squad, but it looks like the 18-year-old made the right call, for he’s starring under Michael Carrick and now impressing for the Scotland Men’s team too.

Having notched assists in both of his recent Championship matches – two in the latter – after scoring his first professional goal earlier in the campaign, Doak is indeed riding the crest of a wave at the moment, with former Scotland manager Craig Levein even claiming: “this kid could be a world-class player.”

Effusive words. But not without substance. The short-framed Doak’s pace and power, his swivelling low centre of gravity, allow him to bypass stern opposition down the right flank with ease.

He’s burgeoning alright. But Doak isn’t the only Liverpool talent making headway out on loan this season. Of course, Giorgi Mamardashvili is back with Valencia for the campaign after signing for Slot’s side in a deal worth £29m in August, while Stefan Bajcetic is gaining invaluable experience under Pep Lijnders at RB Salzburg in Austria. Keep an eye on that one, for sure.

But what about Lewis Koumas? Lesser known, without a doubt, but still blessed with the natural properties and goalscoring eye to become a Premier League star in the future.

Lewis Koumas could rival Doak at Liverpool

Koumas only has one senior appearance for Liverpool, but then of course he scored the opening goal in that one, helping Jurgen Klopp’s youthful side through to the quarter-finals against Manchester United.

Though other Reds striplings have seen greater acclaim for their emphatic successes last season, Koumas proved from the offing that he has the striking sense to slot (ahem) right into Liverpool life.

But Liverpool’s new Dutch head coach made a point of trimming his first team of blubber this summer, and up-and-coming stars such as Koumas were always going to be best served to sharpen those tools at a ground that can offer regular match action.

A short-term move away was always going to benefit the dynamic young forward, and though Stoke City have struggled in the second tier for many interminable years since being relegated from the Premier League, this seemed a good fit for Koumas to take steady steps into the big time.

It’s working out well. The 19-year-old has started ten Championship matches and posted three goals and two assists in all competitions, with Potters boss Steven Schumacher saying that “young players are doing brilliant for us” this term.

Matches (starts)

10 (8)

14 (10)

Goals

1

2

Assists

3

1

Shots (on target)*

1.5 (0.8)

1.4 (0.4)

Pass completion

82%

74%

Key passes*

2.2

0.7

Ball recoveries*

2.3

1.8

Dribbles*

2.3

0.9

Total duels won*

4.6

2.9

While Doak’s underlying data shows him to be a more refined and complete member of the Championship than his Liverpool teammate, Koumas is demonstrating a superior goalscoring edge, having bagged two goals to Doak’s one, while also proving himself to be a veritable killer in front of goal for Liverpool’s development side.

Indeed, the Welsh talent scored 28 goals across 51 appearances for the Reds youth sides. Speaking of nationality, like Doak, Koumas has recently been blooded for his nation, making two appearances for Wales in the Nations League this autumn.

Let’s see how these respective talents do over the coming months. But while Doak had garnered a reputation for producing high-level moments, it’s easy to forget about Koumas.

The Wales international, who has been described as a “diamond” by Football Insider’s Wayne Versey, actually ranks among the top 15% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the Championship this term for carries into the attacking penalty area (1.80) per 90, as per FBref, suggesting that, while less of a ball-carrying winger than Doak, he still has the penetrative presence to mirror his Scottish peer.

Liverpool are making significant gains under Slot’s wing, and are hoping for big things come the end of the the 2024/25 season. But with such prodigious youngsters making headway of their own elsewhere, it’s surely shaping up to be an exciting era ahead for the Anfield side.

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The American star's performances earn him a spot alongside Randal Kolo Muani, Nico Paz, Mateo Retegui, Angelino and Mattia Zaccagni

Pulisic nominated alongside five other Serie A standoutsAC Milan forward's goal contributions crucial in FebruaryFan vote to determine the winner of the prestigious awardGetty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED

Christian Pulisic, AC Milan's American forward, has been nominated for the EA FC Serie A Player of the Month award for February 2025. The nomination comes as recognition of Pulisic's stellar performances throughout the month with him a key figure in AC Milan's rise up the table. He has been nominated alongside Juventus’s Randal Kolo Muani, Como’s Nico Paz, Atalanta BC’s Mateo Retegui, AS Roma’s Angelino and Napoli’s Mattia Zaccagni.

AdvertisementTHE NOMINEESTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Pulisic's nomination highlights his growing influence in Italian football since his move to AC Milan as the American has been one of the best players this term. That includes in the month of February where the 25-year-old contributed to three goals in the Serie A action.

The winner of the EA FC Serie A Player of the Month award for February will be determined by a fan vote. If Pulisic emerges victorious, he will receive a special Player of the Month item in EA FC 25 Ultimate Team, featuring significant attribute boosts. It won't be the first card that the American has had as he has already earned a Team of the Week card and was a part of the Trailblazers event last fall.

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Getty Images SportWHAT’S NEXT?

As the Serie A season progresses, Pulisic will aim to maintain his form and help AC Milan secure a top-four finish. The however, are eight points out of a top-four spot and are nearing must-win territory to close out the campaign.

They face Lazio and then Lecce over their next two league games.