Tottenham Hotspur centre-forward Richarlison started the season with a fire in his belly with a terrific performance against Burnley in front of his home supporters on Saturday.

The Brazil international scored two of the team’s three goals in a 3-0 win over the Clarets in the first game of the Premier League season, including a spectacular finish from Mohammed Kudus’ cross.

The number nine shirt is up for grabs under Thomas Frank and Richarlison’s performance on Saturday suggests that he is ready to take it for himself.

Spurs signed Dominic Solanke from Bournemouth for £65m in an attempt to finally replace Harry Kane last summer, but he only scored nine goals from 10.97 xG in the Premier League in his first season at the club, per Sofascore.

The England international, who has only hit double figures for goals in one season in his top-flight career, may not be the clinical presence that Frank will want in the centre-forward position.

Richarlison, however, is a player who has the potential to be the main number nine for Spurs if he can remain fit and add more consistency to his all-round game.

Why Richarlison could be the main man for Spurs

The Brazilian striker has shown promise as a finisher at various points in his career in England, having, of course, played for Everton before his move to north London.

During his time at Goodison Park, Richarlison scored 43 goals from 41.85 xG across four seasons in the Premier League, per Understat. He also hit double figures for goals in three of those four campaigns, which speaks to both his ability as a regular goalscorer and a clinical finisher.

Since the start of the 2023/24 campaign, Richarlison has scored 17 goals from 14.77 xG for Spurs in the Premier League, per Understat, which is further evidence of his potential as a clinical striker for Spurs.

The biggest hurdle between the striker and being the main man for Tottenham appears to be his fitness. He has missed far too many matches through injury in the last few seasons, particularly last term, and that has disrupted his progress in North London.

24/25

4

37

23/24

4

10

22/23

2

11

21/22

2

13

20/21

2

2

As you can see in the table above, Richarlison has missed a staggering 47 games through injury in the last two seasons at Spurs, and his durability is something that he needs to work on.

If the 28-year-old marksman can find a way to be available week-in-week-out for Tottenham, he has shown that he has the finishing ability to a consistent and strong goal threat in the Premier League.

Strikers need service, though, and that was shown during the Harry Kane and Heung-min Son era. The duo combined for the most goals (47) as a pairing in Premier League history, with both players teeing each other up for goals on a regular basis.

Spurs planning bid for new winger

Richarlison will need his own version of Son, to score the level of goals that Kane did for Spurs, and the club are trying to sign a player who could be that creative force for the Brazilian.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Tottenham Hotspur remain in talks over a deal to sign Manchester City winger Savinho before the end of the summer transfer window.

The reporter claims that Spurs are planning to make a new offer for the Brazil international, after their first bid was turned down by the Premier League giants.

Romano states that the left-footed star, who has spent one season at The Etihad so far, ‘remains keen’ on a transfer to link up with Frank’s squad this summer.

It has been reported that City are holding out for a fee in the region of £69m for the attacker, but it remains to be seen whether or not the latest offer planned by Spurs will be enough to tempt them into cashing in on Savinho.

Why Savinho would be a dream for Richarlison

The Manchester City winger could be Richarlison’s own version of Heung-min Son because of the level of creativity that he can provide on the right wing.

As per Transfermarkt, Son delivered 101 assists in ten seasons with Spurs, so roughly ten per year on average. This meant that he provided a consistent source of creativity down the flank to ensure that Kane never went long without a chance to find the back of the net.

Savinho’s first two seasons with more than 20 first-team appearances, in the last two campaigns, have yielded 20 assists for Manchester City and Girona combined, per Sofascore, which is an average of ten per year.

This suggests that Spurs would be signing a star with the potential to be as creative for the club as Son was at the height of his powers alongside Kane at the top end of the pitch.

Savinho, who was described as a “live wire” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, created a whopping 32 ‘big chances’ for his teammates in the last two seasons in all competitions, registering 20 assists from those opportunities, per Sofascore.

xAG

0.35

Top 2%

Shot-creating actions

5.66

Top 3%

Key passes

2.34

Top 11%

Passes into the penalty area

2.40

Top 8%

Goal-creating actions

0.76

Top 4%

Assists

0.41

Top 1%

As you can see in the table above, the 21-year-old dynamo ranked incredibly highly among his positional peers in the Premier League in a host of creative metrics.

He racked up 6.10 xA and created 11 ‘big chances’ in 21 Premier League starts for City, per Sofascore. Meanwhile, no Spurs player created more than 5.91 xA and only Son (16) created more than ten ‘big chances’ for the team.

This suggests that Savinho has the creative quality and Premier League performances under his belt to come in as the creator-in-chief for Frank this season. He is a proven performer with plenty of time, at the age of 21, to get even better under the manager’s coaching, and could hit the ground running in North London.

Therefore, the £69m-rated wing wizard could be the Son to Richarlison’s Kane if the club are able to get a deal over the line for him, as he has the ability to create the chances the striker needs to be a prolific scorer for the Lilywhites.

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With just under a month remaining until the transfer window slams shut, Leeds United are reportedly racing Borussia Dortmund to seal an “ambitious” move.

Leeds still chasing summer additions

Despite already welcoming as many as seven fresh faces this summer, Leeds still have unfinished business in the summer transfer window. With their Premier League opener against Everton now just over a week away, Daniel Farke and the 49ers have their sights set on further reinforcements as they aim to ensure that they avoid the familiar feeling of relegation this season.

Farke, himself, recently admitted that the Whites remain short on attacking quality, telling reporters: “We know in the offence we are not ready for Premier League level. We’ve proven we can be ready for one game and for that I am not too concerned at the moment as it stands.

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“I know especially with the offence, in the last bit you can add some quality. Of course as a manager you want all the players available on the first day of pre-season and to have training sessions with them because they need to adapt to the group and the principles.”

With that said, it’s been no surprise to see the likes of Aleksandar Mitrovic enter Leeds’ radar in recent days. The Al-Hilal forward knows all about finding the back of the net in the Premier League, having become a consistent goalscorer at Fulham before swapping Craven Cottage for Saudi Arabia. Now, reports suggest that Leeds are weighing up whether to pursue his signature.

Those at Elland Road are certainly in an ambitious mood in the final stages of the window, and it’s not just Mitrovic on their radar as they look to add Premier League quality to their attack.

Leeds interested in "ambitious" move for Buonanotte

According to transfer reporter Ben Jacobs, Leeds are now interested in a move to Facundo Buonanotte ahead of Borussia Dortmund in what is considered to be an “ambitious” swoop.

However, the German giants have reportedly already opened talks to sign the Bright & Hove Albion attacking midfielder to instantly hand the Whites an uphill battle to secure his signature. That said, one advantage that Leeds could have is the fact that the 20-year-old is represented by the same agent as Wilfried Gnonto.

Such high interest in the Argentine should come as no shock. Buonanotte was an undeniable standout whilst on loan at Leicester City last season, ending the season with six goals and three assists in all competitions, as the Foxes suffered relegation.

Dubbed “talented” by former Leicester boss Steve Cooper, the 20-year-old Brighton star could now get a second attempt at survival by joining Leeds this summer.

With just over two weeks to go until the Premier League season kicks off, it would be fair to say that this summer has been a success for Arsenal thus far.

On the pitch, Mikel Arteta’s side have won all three of their games – if you include the behind-closed-doors clash with Watford – and off it, Andrea Berta and Co have been extraordinarily busy.

The Italian has sealed the signings of potential game-changers like Viktor Gyokeres and Martin Zubimendi, while massively improving the overall squad with players like Noni Madueke, Christian Norgaard and Cristhian Mosquera.

However, the Gunners do not seem finished just yet, as they continue to be linked with Real Madrid dynamo Rodrygo, who could cost up to £86m.

Before they can sign the Brazilian international, the Gunners may need to make a sale or two, so it’s good news that one of Arteta’s own signings has already received several offers.

Why Arsenal want to splash the cash on Rodrygo

While almost every club in world football would love to have a player of Rodrygo’s quality in their squad, there are likely three main reasons Arsenal want to sign him this summer, and the first is down to his output.

Over the last two campaigns, the Brazilian “superstar,” as dubbed by Luka Modrić, has found the back of the net on 31 occasions and provided 20 assists in 105 appearances, totalling 7159 minutes.

In other words, the former Santos gem has been averaging a goal involvement every 2.05 games, or every 140.37 minutes across the last two years, which is a rate of return that could seriously help the North Londoners catch up to Liverpool next season.

The second reason Arteta and Co would want the 24-year-old is that he can play in multiple positions.

For example, even though his best role is off the left, the last two seasons have seen him play off the right and up top, so while he would likely spend much of his time in England playing on the left, he would be able to cover for other players and offer the manager plenty of tactical options.

Right Winger

146

34

31

Centre-Forward

84

22

8

Left Winger

78

23

16

Attacking Midfield

3

0

1

Second Striker

1

0

0

Finally, despite still being relatively young, and two years off his peak, according to research carried out by The Athletic, the Los Blancos ace has a vast amount of experience playing in the biggest games in world football, and that winning mentality which the North Londoners have lacked in recent years.

For example, since moving to Madrid, the Osasco-born monster has won two La Liga titles and two Champions Leagues, and even more impressively, has a record of 25 goals and provided 14 assists in 64 games in the competition.

In all, Rodrygo would bring goals, versatility and real know-how to Arsenal this summer, but to be able to afford him, the club would likely have to make at least one or two sales, which is something that appears to be on the table.

The Arsenal star with offers to leave

While much of the transfer talk around Arsenal this summer has focused on incomings, and understandably so, there have still been several reports about players potentially leaving the Emirates.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

One of the most prominent earlier on in the window was talk of Gabriel Martinelli being a target for Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr, but transfers expert Fabrizio Romano quickly shot that down.

Then, more recently, there have been rumours over a potential loan move to Brazilian outfit Flamengo for Gabriel Jesus, one that would see the Gunners pay 50% of his wages.

However, the most realistic sale, at this point anyway, appears to be Leandro Trossard.

According to a recent report from Sky Sports Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, the Belgian international, who joined the Gunners for around £27m in January 2023, is being monitored by German giants Borussia Dortmund, and more interestingly, has already been the subject of “two concrete offers from Premier League clubs” this window.

While the former Brighton & Hove Albion ace could still be an effective player for the North Londoners, selling him this summer to make way for Rodrygo would make sense, as even though Martinelli suffered a hamstring injury last season, the Brazilian still played more minutes than he did.

Moreover, the 30-year-old has been progressively getting less productive for Arteta’s side.

Appearances

22

46

56

Minutes

1071′

2263′

3455′

Goals

1

17

10

Assists

10

3

10

Goal Involvements per Match

0.50

0.43

0.35

Minutes per Goal Involvement

97.36′

113.15′

172.75′

For example, in his first half-season with the team, he produced 11 goal involvements in 1071 minutes, then in the following campaign, he produced 20 in 2263 minutes, and last season, he was only able to manage 20 in 3455 minutes.

Ultimately, Arsenal need to rejuvenate their frontline further this summer, and if by selling Trossard they can afford to sign Rodrygo, they should thank the Belgian and send him on his way.

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Maharaj was set to be in the XI for the first ODI against Pakistan but limped off just before the toss

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Dec-2024

Keshav Maharaj picked up a five-wicket haul in his last Test outing•Associated Press

South Africa have been left sweating over the fitness of Keshav Maharaj ahead of their last two Tests of the ongoing World Test Championship 2023-25 cycle. Maharaj was seen limping off during warm-ups ahead of the first ODI against Pakistan on Tuesday because of a groin strain. It is understood that Maharaj was in the XI before he sustained the injury right before the toss and was replaced by Andile Phehlukwayo. He will have a scan on Wednesday.After the three-match ODI series, South Africa face Pakistan in two Tests, needing just one more win to be assured of a top-two finish to qualify for the WTC final next year. Maharaj is a key component of South Africa’s Test side, often their lone specialist spinner in the XI, with Aiden Markram offering support with his part-time offspin. Maharaj bowled them to a win against Sri Lanka in Gqeberha earlier this month, returning 5 for 76 on the last day to trigger a collapse.Related

WTC final scenarios – SA need one more win for guaranteed top-two finish

Fractured toe puts Anrich Nortje out of T20Is against Pakistan

While the severity of Maharaj’s injury is yet to be ascertained, this adds to the long list of injured South Africa bowlers. Anrich Nortje was ruled out with a fractured toe ahead of the T20Is against Pakistan; Gerald Coetzee and Lungi Ngidi are out until January with groin and hip issues respectively; Nandre Burger has been ruled out of the summer with a stress fracture of the lower back; Wiaan Mulder is in a race to be fit for the Boxing Day Test against Pakistan after breaking a finger against Sri Lanka.Dane Piedt and Senuran Muthusamy are the spinners in contention for the Boxing Day Test, if Maharaj is ruled out. Batting allrounder Neil Brand, who bowls left-arm spin, and legspinner Shaun von Berg also made Test appearances this year for South Africa. Left-arm wristspinner Tabraiz Shamsi, who last played first-class cricket in 2021, could be in with an outside chance.

Ted Lasso star Jason Sudeikis was spotted at the Emirates watching Arsenal thump Nottingham Forest 3-0. Sudeikis attended the game alongside the co-writer and co-star of the hit Apple TV comedy Brendan Hunt, better known to viewers as Lasso's right-hand man Coach Beard. Both men are presumably in London working on season four of the show, which is expected to hit screens in 2026.

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  Hunt and Sudeikis were treated to an outstanding display by Mikel Arteta's men, as they consigned former Spurs boss Ange Postecoglu to a chastening defeat in his first game as Forest boss. Martin Zubimendi bagged a brace, while Viktor Gyokeres bagged his third of the season. 

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  What we know about Ted Lasso Season 4

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Continuing their hunt for reinforcements, Leeds United reportedly submitted an offer to sign a midfield gem before he handed them a swift response in negotiations.

Leeds gearing up for Premier League return

It’s been two seasons in waiting, but Leeds’ Premier League return is almost underway at long last. Daniel Farke’s side will square off against Everton in the first Monday Night Football of the season, in which they’ll hope to make an instant statement.

None of the last six promoted sides have survived at the first time of asking in the Premier League, but Leeds, Sunderland and Burnley will be desperate to bring an end to what is a concerning trend.

The 49ers would have been well aware of that statistic this summer too, and have backed Farke with a number of arrivals as a result. Even after welcoming as many as seven fresh faces, however, the American owners could have more lined up for those at Elland Road.

Among those who could yet arrive is Liverpool’s Ben Doak. The speedy winger looks likely to be on the move this summer, either on loan or in a permanent deal, and Leeds could take full advantage.

Whilst the young Scotland international won’t come cheap, he is the type of player worth splashing out on. After impressing many around Middlesbrough during his loan spell, before injury cut things short, Doak is ready to leave his mark on the Premier League at just 19 years old.

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Meanwhile, as recent reports revealed, in another reality the teenage star could have had the chance to join a former Liverpool teammate in Yorkshire this summer.

Leeds made Bobby Clark offer

As reported by The Chronicle’s Lee Ryder, Leeds made an offer to sign Bobby Clark from Red Bull Salzburg, only for the former Liverpool man to favour a loan move to Championship side Derby County over a bit-part role with a Premier League side.

Clark is back in England to “prove people wrong” after a frustrating year at Salzburg. The 20-year-old midfielder initially joined the Austrian club and former Liverpool assistant Pep Lijnders for around £10m last summer, but soon saw Lijnders sacked and his own game time limited – making an exit inevitable just one year on.

Still a player full of potential, nonetheless, it wasn’t so long ago that Clark was earning impressive praise from ex-Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, who told reporters after a 6-1 win over Slavia Prague: “Controlling a football game, with all the excitement inside that he definitely still has, is fantastic. Bobby, it’s really nice to see the boys develop and flourish, to be honest.”

It’s a talent that Leeds have ultimately missed out on this time around and they must simply go again in the transfer market. With just under a month remaining until the window slams shut, the Whites still have work to do.

Ange Postecoglou has come out swinging after landing the Nottingham Forest job and claimed his teams attack only because he 'likes winning things'.

Postecoglou says attacking ideas 'misconstrued'Vows to play same way at Nottingham ForestAnge wants to win more trophiesFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The new Forest boss has been speaking after taking the helm at the City Ground following the sacking of Nuno Espirito Santo. The Australian ended his two-year spell at Tottenham with the Europa League title, but often faced questions over his tactics and total commitment to attack, regardless of the opposition or circumstances. But he has hit back, vowing to maintain his principles.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

While Spurs fans were delighted to landed European silverware for the first time in 41 years, the league campaign was a disaster, with Tottenham finishing 17th, one place above the relegation zone, the club's worst-ever Premier League finish. They lost 22 league games, which is a record for a team that wasn't relegated and Ange's vow to always play his way caused much concern on the white half of north London. 

WHAT POSTECOGLOU SAID

Postecoglou told Forest TV: "I love winning. I love winning things, it's what I've done. I want the fans to be excited about watching the team play. I think there's already an existing mentality within the group of working hard for one another and, you know, I want to tap into that. And from my perspective it's about now implementing my own ideas. It's no secret I like my teams to attack. I love my teams to score goals. That's sometimes misconstrued as me just playing one way, but the reason I want my teams to play that way is I love winning things and that's what I want to do here."

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Ange can now prove everyone wrong again. He stated he 'always wins trophies in his second year' in charge and Forest fans would love to see silverware back at the City Ground. But he'll face a fiery welcome for his first game as Forest travel to his former club Tottenham's north London rivals Arsenal. 

By the time the transfer window shuts on 1 September, how many new signings will Rangers have made?

To date, Russell Martin has made seven additions to his squad since being unveiled as the 20th permanent manager in Rangers’ history, with many more forecast to follow.

Now, could the club be about to break their modern-day transfer record to sign a “special talent”?

Rangers' search for a new winger

Earlier this week, on Tuesday night, the Martin era began with a crucial 2-0 victory over Panathinaikos in a Champions League qualifier at Ibrox.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

It was the Greek side who dominated the first half, Jack Butland pulling off a string of impressive saves, before teenager Findlay Curtis lashed home the opener shortly after the interval, with substitute Djeidi Gassama then doing similar 12 minutes from time.

Thus, the Light Blues will take a decent, if not unassailable, advantage to Athens next Wednesday, looking to rubber stamp their spot in the third qualifying round, where Servette are likely to await, after their 1-0 victory over Viktoria Plzeň on the road.

Before that crucial second leg at the Spyros Louis Olympic Stadium, could supporters also have a new signing to get excited about?

Well, as reported by David Ornstein of The Athletic, Rangers have ‘made an offer’ to Crystal Palace as they seek to sign winger Jesurun Rak-Sakyi. That proposal was rejected by the Eagles, although negotiations remain ‘ongoing’.

Ornstein outlines that the offer was an initial loan, but containing an obligation to buy, which could be worth as much as £10m, should certain performance criteria be met.

This would make the 22-year-old the second-most expensive signing in the club’s history, behind only Tore André Flo, who joined in 2000, surpassing Ryan Kent’s post-liquidation record.

Despite that initial rejection, Rangers’ pursuit continues, albeit while needing to act fast given that there is ‘interest from elsewhere’, so will Rak-Sakyi soon swap Selhurst for Ibrox?

How Jesurun Rak-Sakyi would improve Rangers

Having been released by Chelsea as a 17-year-old, Rak-Sakyi then joined Crystal Palace, actually making his senior debut against his former club at Stamford Bridge in August 2021.

In total, he’s appeared just ten times for the Eagles, seven of which have been as a substitute, but has impressed during two loan spells.

First, he spent the 2022/23 campaign nine miles across South London at Charlton Athletic, scoring 15 goals in 43 EFL League One appearances, with then-manager Dean Holden labelling him a “fantastic young player”, describing him as “humble, calm and composed”, believing “he has a real chance of going to the top level”.

Then, he was loaned out again last season, this time to Sheffield United, really bursting onto the scene at Bramall Lane, scoring seven times in the EFL Championship as the Blades reached the play-off final, heartbreakingly beaten by Sunderland at Wembley.

Edward Walker of the Matchday Man called him a “truly special talent”, while Matt Woosnam of The Athletic praised his dribbling ability and ‘eagerness to learn’, with Nizaar Kinsella of Goal impressed by his ‘technical ability’, forecasting he could go to the very top.

Elsewhere, Adam Oxley of BBC Sport notes that he enjoyed an ‘excellent season’ at Sheffield United, predominantly deployed on the right flank, allowing him to cut inside on his left foot, highlighting his ‘pace and trickery’ as well as his penalty box threat.

Well, right-wing is certainly a position of need at Rangers, underlined by the fact Kieran Dowell, who was shipped out on loan to Birmingham City last season, started in that spot against Panathinaikos.

Last season, Václav Černý was one of the club’s star players, occupying that position, with the table below emphasising the Czech international’s importance.

Václav Černý statistics at Rangers
Statistics	Černý	Rangers rank
Minutes	3,933	5th
Goals	18	2nd
Assists	9	3rd
European goals	6	1st
Big chances created	9	4th
Shots	136	1st
Shot-creating actions	42	1st
Progressive carries	40	1st
Average SofaScore rating	7.40	2nd
Statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt, Sofascore and FBref.com

As the table outlines, Černý was, arguably, Rangers’ most important attacking player last season, scoring six times as part of their run to the Europa League quarter-finals; only Bruno Fernandes, Kasper Waarst Høgh and Ayoub El Kaabi bagged more in the competition.

Nevertheless, Černý will not be returning to Govan following his loan spell from Wolfsburg, so could Rak-Sakyi be the replacement they are searching for?

Well, let’s assess his statistics in the EFL Championship last season to answer that question.

Jesurun Rak-Sakyi’s EFL Championship statistics 2024/25
Statistics	Rak-Sakyi	Championship rank
Minutes	1,725	279th
Goals	7	42nd
Shots	46	74th
Shots per 90	2.4	35th
Shot-creating actions	71	98th
Attempted take-ons	95	31st
Take-on success %	49.5%	4th
Progressive carries	73	45th
Carries into the box	49	15th
*minimum 90 take-ons attempted.
Statistics courtesy of FBref.com

As the table outlines, despite featuring in less than 42% of Sheffield United’s regular season minutes, Rak-Sakyi ranks generally very highly for all attacking metrics, most notably when it comes to dribbling, namely take-ons and progressive carries.

Thus, it is clear that the 22-year-old is a serious talent, and one that could be exactly what Rangers are searching for.

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Opener Shafali Verma has been dropped from India’s squad for the three ODIs on the tour of Australia due to a poor run of form, while wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh has returned to the side after missing the home ODIs against New Zealand due to her board exams.There were call-ups for batters Priya Punia, batting allrounder Harleen Deol, offspinner Minnu Mani, and fast bowler Titas Sadhu, who are all part of the 16-member squad for the three ODIs in Brisbane and Perth on December 5, 8 and 11.Shafali has not been able to crack ODIs for some time now – she has just 108 runs at an average of 18 in six games this year. The last time she was dropped in the 50-over format – after the first of the three-match series against Australia at home in December 2023 – Yastika Bhatia opened the batting with Smriti Mandhana, while Ghosh batted at No. 3. In Shafali’s absence, Yastika might open again, with Punia auditioning for the No. 3 spot.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Punia has played three ODIs since 2023, and made a comeback against South Africa in June this year on the back of impressive domestic performances. She featured only in the final ODI against South Africa, and was then part of the India A tour of Australia in August, when she didn’t find much success. However, Punia was dropped for the New Zealand series in Ahmedabad in October, where Yastika batted at No.3. Even D Hemalatha, who wasn’t picked for the Australia series, played three ODIs this year at Nos. 3 and 4, but failed to hold on to her spot.Apart from Hemalatha, also missing from the squad are offspinner Shreyanka Patil, uncapped seamer Sayali Satghare, and back-up wicketkeeper Uma Chetry.Deol is another familiar name back in the fold after almost a year. The middle-order batter has played only ten ODIs since her debut in 2019 and scored two fifties, but was never given a sustained run in the format. Her last ODI was also against Australia, at home last year.Meanwhile, Sadhu, who, like Mani, has featured in nine T20Is but is yet to play an ODI, will be the back-up fast bowler, with Renuka Singh and Arundhati Reddy leading the attack that also has seamer Saima Thakor, who had made her debut against New Zealand.Legspinner Asha Sobhana, who had missed the New Zealand series because of injury, continues to be unavailable, while allrounder Pooja Vastrakar, who was rested against New Zealand, is absent too. Meanwhile, middle-order batter Tejal Hasabnis and legspinner Priya Mishra, who also made their debuts against New Zealand and had notable performances, have retained their spots to face Australia.The likes of Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Yastika and Deepti Sharma are already in Australia, as they are playing in the WBBL.Harmanpreet Kaur and co will head into the ODIs against Australia on the back of a 2-1 victory against New Zealand, while Australia last played ODIs in March, and beat Bangladesh 3-0 in Mirpur. The ODIs against India will be part of the Championship, where Australia and England are the joint table-toppers. India, as hosts, qualify automatically for the 2025 World Cup.

India’s squad for ODIs against Australia

Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Smriti Mandhana, Priya Punia, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harleen Deol, Yastika Bhatia (wk), Richa Ghosh (wk), Tejal Hasabnis, Deepti Sharma, Minnu Mani, Priya Mishra, Radha Yadav, Titas Sadhu, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh Thakur and Saima Thakor

أعلنت رابطة البريميرليج قائمة اللاعبين المرشحين لجائزة أفضل لاعب في شهر سبتمبر المنقضي خلال بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

ويتصدر ليفربول بقيادة مدربه الهولندي آرني سلوت، جدول ترتيب الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز موسم 2025/2026، برصيد 15 نقطة، بعد الفوز في 5 مباريات وخسارة وحيدة أمام كريستلا بالاس في الجولة الماضية.

وحقق ليفربول فوزًا قاتلًا على بيرنلي بهدف نظيف في الجولة الرابعة ثم استطاع أن يفوز على إيفرتون في ديربي الميرسيسايد بثنائية مقابل هدف، على آنفيلد.

وبدأ مشواره في بطولة كأس كاراباو بفوز بثنائية مقابل هدف على ساوثهامبتون في مباراة شهدت واقعة طرد هوجو إيكتيكي الشهيرة.

ولم تشهد قائمة المرشحين على لاعب شهر سبتمبر بالدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز تواجد أي لاعب من ليفربول، على عكس الشهر الماضي حيث تواجد الثنائي هوجو إيكتيكي ودومينيك سوبوسلاي.

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ولم تضم القائمة نجم ليفربول، محمد صلاح، الذي شارك في مباريات ليفربول الثلاثة واكتفى بتسجيل هدف وحيد ضد بيرنلي من ركلة جزاء في الدقائق الأخيرة.

وشهدت القائمة تواجد كل من النرويجي إيرلينج هالاند لاعب مانشستر سيتي، كمادا لاعب كريستال بالاس، يانكوبو مينتيه لاعب برايتون، روبن روفيس، وجرانت تشاكا ثنائي سندرلاند، ومارتن زوبيميندي، لاعب آرسنال.

وتمتلك الجماهير فرصة التصويت حتى الثانية ظهر يوم الإثنين 6 أكتوبر الجاري، على أن يتم دمج تصويتهم مع اختيارات لجنة من خبرات كرة القدم لتحديد الفائز.

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