Category Uncategorized

Looking to boost their attacking options even further, Aston Villa have now reportedly made their first move to sign an attacking midfielder who’s had a hand in 23 goals so far this season.

Aston Villa transfer news

The Villans were as bold as ever during the January transfer window, selling Jhon Duran for a reported £65m before welcoming Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford on loan from Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United. That bravery has been to no avail in the Premier League, however, with Unai Emery’s side taking one step forward and two steps back in recent weeks, culminating in a 10th place position.

Grealish 2.0: NSWE should regret selling Aston Villa's "next big thing"

Aston Villa are on course to reach the Champions League quarter-finals, but would they be even stronger had they not sold their “next big thing”?

1 ByBen Gray Mar 6, 2025

In the Champions League, meanwhile, the Midlands club have enjoyed opposite fortunes. Defeating Club Brugge 3-1 last time out, Aston Villa are now just one second leg win away from a Champions League quarter-final in what would be a sensational achievement.

Despite sitting 10th in the Premier League, the Villans have certainly remained ambitious in their pursuit of reinforcements too. According to Efotbal.cz, as relayed by Sports Witness, Aston Villa have now made their first enquiry over signing Pavel Sulc from Viktoria Plzen this summer, but face competition from Manchester City and Leeds United.

Such interest in the attacking midfielder should come as little surprise. Sulc has enjoyed another excellent campaign in the Czech Republic, scoring 12 goals and assisting a further 11, including one in a 2-1 defeat against Manchester United in the Europa League.

If ever a player was ready for a big move, it is the 24-year-old at the peak of his powers.

"Incredible" Sulc would add depth of quality

Whilst Aston Villa’s attack is currently filled to the brim with quality, it remains to be seen whether they’ll be in a position to welcome both Rashford and Asensio on a permanent basis following their loan moves this summer. And that could leave room for the likes of Sulc to arrive. A younger option than the duo who are 27 and 29 years old respectively, the attacking midfielder would prove to be a worthwhile investment.

Earning plenty of praise in the last year or so, including from Jacek Kulig. The football talent scout described the 24-year-old’s 23/24 campaign as “incredible” and has since watched on as he’s enjoyed another excellent season almost a year on.

When the summer arrives, Sulc looks destined to finally get his big move. Whether that means a trip to Villa Park is pending remains to be seen, however.

Tottenham Hotspur exited the FA Cup in the fourth round earlier this afternoon, falling to a 2-1 defeat against Aston Villa at Villa Park.

Jacob Ramsey put the hosts ahead within the first minute before Morgan Rogers struck halfway through the second period to hand Unai Emery’s side a two-goal cushion.

However, Mathys Tel scored his first Spurs goal in stoppage time, but it was too little too late for Ange Postecoglou’s men, as they lost for the sixth time in 2025 already.

It saw the club exit their second cup competition in the space of a week after losing 4-0 to Liverpool at Anfield in the Carabao Cup on Thursday night, with the Europa League their final opportunity to end their wait for a trophy.

Too many players failed to impress once again in the West Midlands, subsequently putting their future starting roles at risk as the Aussie looks to turn around their slump in form.

Spurs’ disappointing performers against Aston Villa

Rodrigo Bentancur started at the heart of midfield once again for the Lilywhites but failed to back up Ange’s decision to stick with him after Thursday’s defeat.

The Uruguayan featured for 72 minutes before being withdrawn, winning just one of the six duels he entered, being dribbled past twice and making no attempts to track back for the host’s second of the afternoon.

Lucas Bergvall looked off the pace once more in the loss, with the build-up of action undoubtedly contributing to his recent poor performances for Spurs.

The 19-year-old lost eight duels, the most of any players, committing four fouls in the process and getting himself carded once again compounding his disappointing showing in the West Midlands.

Despite the lack of positive impact from the aforementioned duo, there was another first-team member who failed to impress, with the talent looking like a shadow of his former self once again today.

The Spurs player who dropped a 4/10 display against Villa

For numerous years, Heung-min Son has been the shining light in a below-par period for the club, often producing the moment of magic to dig them out of a difficult moment.

However, the same can’t be said in 2025, with the South Korean failing to meet the high expectations he’s set for himself during his time as a player in North London.

The display against Villa today was no different, with the 32-year-old wasteful with the ball at his feet, showing signs that the best days of his professional career are now in the rearview mirror.

Son featured for the entirety of the meeting, but could only muster a total of 23 touches, the lowest of any player who started the clash, with goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky registering more with his tally of 43.

The forward missed a gilt edge chance to get Ange’s men back in the contest, completing just eight passes and losing 83% of the duels he entered, leading to journalist Japtej Ghura labelling his display as “inexcusable”.

He also lost possession eight times within his 23 touches, highlighting his wasteful outing, getting dribbled past twice with his lack of explosive pace now evident – looking nowhere near the talent he once was.

To top off his showing, Son was handed a measly 4/10 match rating by Express journalist Sam Smith, compounding his misery after the Lilywhites’ cup exit.

Tel’s late goal is proof that is coming to the point where the South Korean may have to step aside to allow the next generation to take over in North London – a difficult decision undoubtedly given his career at the club.

However, football is a cutthroat industry and if the club are to progress and fight for a trophy at any point in the near future, it’s crucial that Postecoglou axes the forward from his starting lineup.

He's now better than Son: Spurs must regret offloading "big-game monster"

Tottenham have a number of problems that need to be addressed at the end of the season.

By
Angus Sinclair

Feb 9, 2025

Manchester United are in dire need of improving their poor form this season having now slumped to 15th in the Premier League, and although relegation seems unlikely, they are set for a record-low finish in the Premier League.

United’s most recent game saw them make their final trip to Goodison Park to face Everton. The Toffees were the better side for much of the 90 minutes, but United managed to claw back a 2-0 deficit to draw, thanks to an inspirational performance from Bruno Fernandes.

It was not just United’s captain who stood out, with new signing Patrick Dorgu also impressing.

Dorgu's time at United so far

The Red Devils made Dorgu the first major signing of the Ruben Amorim era at the back end of the January Transfer window. They signed him from Serie A strugglers Lecce, for £25m up front and a further £4.1m in add-ons.

So far, the wing-back is just three games into his United career. His debut came in the FA Cup against Leicester City, where he featured for the first half. He has also played two games in the Premier League, getting 90 minutes under his belt against Tottenham Hotspur and, most recently, Everton.

The Denmark international was certainly one of the better United players against the Toffees. The Manchester Evening News journalist Samuel Luckhurst was impressed by his performance, giving him a 7/10. He explained that Dorgu ‘has not been ground down by the pressure of playing for United’ so far.

Goals and assists will surely follow soon, too. Before his move to Old Trafford, the young wing-back scored three times and grabbed one assist for Lecce this season, showing his threat in front of goal.

In fact, that is as many goal involvements as a former United full-back, who perhaps Amorim wished he could call upon if he was still in his prime.

Former Man United star is now on par with Dorgu

There are plenty of former Red Devils stars performing well since leaving the club. One of the best recent examples of this is Antony, who has five goal involvements in six games since his loan move to Real Betis.

Well, another player who is doing well after leaving United is Ashley Young. Make no mistake about it, the former club captain was exceptional during his time wearing the famous red shirt, and only left in 2020 on a free transfer to Inter Milan, when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was in charge of the club.

The former England international made more appearances for United than he did any other club over his career.

He played 261 games, scoring 19 goals and grabbing 32 assists. Perhaps his best game came against Arsenal in the famous 8-2 win in 2011, where he scored two and assisted three.

The further he got into his United career, Young’s role in the side changed. He went from dynamic and tricky winger to marauding full-back, capable of playing either side. His versatility became key for the managers he had at Old Trafford.

Left midfield

74

12

10

Right-back

56

2

4

Left-back

55

1

7

Left-wing

29

3

9

Right midfield

20

0

1

Right-wing

6

0

0

Second striker

3

0

0

Central midfielder

2

0

0

Centre-back

1

0

0

Now plying his trade for Everton, Young also has four goal involvements this season, just as Dorgu does for Lecce. However, the former England international has one goal and three assists for the Toffees, playing as a flying full-back. At 39 years of age, the former United number 18 is still going strong.

It does make you consider how much Amorim would have appreciated Young this season if he was still at Old Trafford. Given the versatility of the former United skipper, the ability he has to whip in a deadly cross, and the fact he is still contributing to goals, he could have been an ideal wing-back.

Better than Dorgu: Man Utd must regret selling "monster" star for just £5m

Manchester United once sold a defender who is even better than Patrick Dorgu.

4 ByDan Emery Feb 24, 2025

“It’s a complex situation with what’s going on but the biggest positive can be that group of women being talked about,” the England captain said

Valkerie Baynes11-Jan-2025

Heather Knight has urged the cricket community to lend its voice to the Afghanistan women’s team amid concerns that the group had been largely “forgotten” until a row broke out last week over the England men’s team playing Afghanistan at the Champions Trophy.England are due to play Afghanistan in Lahore on February 26 in their second match of the tournament and the ECB has faced calls from UK politicians to consider boycotting the match. UK prime minister Keir Starmer and ECB chief executive Richard Gould have called upon the ICC to show leadership on the issue.Women’s cricket in Afghanistan has effectively been outlawed since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021. Further restrictions have included banning the sound of women’s voices from being heard in public.Related

'A real beacon of hope' – CA sees Afghanistan women's match as first step

Knight: 'Scarred' Australia will come out 'really hard'

Healy cleared to resume keeping but tight schedule a challenge

Some 22 women contracted by the Afghanistan Cricket Board before the Taliban took control fled to Australia and are now based in Melbourne and Canberra. A number of them will play for an Afghanistan Women’s XI against a Cricket Without Borders XI in a T20 match at Melbourne’s Junction Oval on January 30, the same day England and Australia begin their Women’s Ashes day-night Test at the MCG.Knight, England Women’s captain, plans to meet a number of exiled players, who are now based in Melbourne, when they attend the second Ashes ODI at Junction Oval on Tuesday.”I think it’s a really good thing that people are talking about it and it’s been in the news again because honestly, I think it’s been forgotten a lot which is a really bad thing,” Knight said. “Obviously, it’s a really complex situation with what’s going on but I think the biggest positive can be that group of women being talked about.”They’re playing a game at Junction the first day of our Test match so I’d love to see that broadcast far and wide. Let’s get that voice out there that those women are playing cricket, which is a really cool thing. I think that could be a really positive message from a pretty heartbreaking situation going on in their home country.”

The intent machine Mohammad Haris and the extraordinary Rashid Khan also find a place in the XI

Danyal Rasool and Umar Farooq19-Mar-2023Mohammad Rizwan (wk) Rizwan will go down as a PSL legend, and it’s because of seasons like these. Not only did he retain his incredible consistency – he was the highest run-getter of the tournament – he also demonstrated he can continue to add layers to his batting. Often criticised for his strike rate, it was up to 142.85 this year from under 127 the previous year. His magnum opus was an unbeaten 64-ball 110 against Karachi Kings. He flew from 50 to 100 in 18 balls, and was the only player to score a hundred this PSL at a ground other than Rawalpindi. He was, expectedly, flawless behind the stumps, all while leading Multan Sultans to their third straight final, and ending up agonisingly close to another title.Saim Ayub Not quite the find of the PSL, since he’d already been lighting up the domestic circuit, but the effortless step up was still a sight to behold. Having struggled with Quetta Gladiators as a teenager in 2021, Ayub’s reinvention as an aggressive top-order ball-striker was instrumental to Peshawar Zalmi’s successful season. A 37-ball 53 was a statement of intent, but he hit the heights during the Rawalpindi leg, taking full advantage of the shorter boundaries and flat pitches. Three successive fifties ignited Zalmi’s campaign, propelling them through to the play-offs and earning him a maiden call-up to Pakistan’s T20I side.Mohammad Haris This isn’t Pollard’s finest T20 season by any means, but then again, he sets high standards. Deployed mainly as a lower-order bludgeon, the West Indian produced several useful cameos. They might not have grabbed headlines, but they won games. An unbeaten 6-ball 15 and another undefeated 21-ball 32 gave Sultans crucial wins early on, while a 25-ball 52 in Rawalpindi helped them chase down 243 with relative ease. He saved his best for the first Eliminator, though, his 34-ball 57 coming in a remarkable counterattack that blew the Lahore Qalandars away. It included smashing Shaheen Afridi for 20, his most expensive PSL over, and he even chipped in with three wickets through the campaign.ESPNcricinfo LtdAzam Khan What he lacked in consistency he made up for in pure, exhilarating power hitting. Playing with an Islamabad United side that’s best set up to maximise his ability, the free license he had in the middle order was used to devastating effect. It was all evident in two blistering innings: his 42-ball 97 against Gladiators was probably the innings of the tournament, pulverising an attack that comprised Naseem Shah and Mohammad Hasnain at the death. He followed it up shortly after with an unbeaten 72 in 41 balls that helped chase down 201 against Kings, earning himself a call-up to the national T20 side.Imad WasimKings’ captain endured seven losses out of ten matches after taking over from Babar Azam. Though Kings finished fifth, Imad’s all-round performance helped him earn a recall to the Pakistan side for the T20I series against Afghanistan.Rashid KhanRashid’s economy rate of under seven stood out in a campaign where he also ended as the third-highest wicket-taker. Only Zalmi took him for 40-plus runs this season. He played a crucial role with Qalandars winning seven out of ten group games.Shaheen Shah Afridi (capt)Shaheen lifted the PSL trophy for the second time in succession, thus establishing his credentials as leader. He also scored a lot of valuable runs, with 133 at a strike rate of 168. to stun the opponent. That included a half-century against Zalmi, before smashing 44 not out from only 15 balls in the final. As for his bowling, he was the tournament’s fourth-highest wicket-taker, with one five-for and two four-wicket hauls.ESPNcricinfo LtdZaman KhanA last-over specialist, seems to have a knack for defending a handful of runs. He bowled the 20th over in both the opening match and the final, defending 14 and 12 runs respectively. In only his second season, he showed temperament and control to become a part of Qalandars’ core. He and Rashid bowled the joint-second-most dot balls – 106. He did not pick up a player-of-the-match award, but there’s no denying the impact he had. He was rewarded with a maiden call-up for Pakistan, in the T20I side for the Afghanistan series.IhsanullahPakistan unearthed another bowling talent this season. Ihsanullah was picked by Sultans last season, but was injured after one game; this season he has come back as the finished product. The 20-year-old bowled some furious spells, clocking 150kph and announced himself in his second game with figures of 4-1-12-5 against Gladiators. He tested almost every batter he came up against this season and was top of the bowling charts all through before his team-mate Abbas Afridi pipped him at the end, pushing him down to second. He registered his trademark “archer” celebration, and was also rewarded with a national call-up for the Afghanistan series.Abbas Afridi

MatériaMais Notícias

da leao： O Goiás venceu o São Paulo pelo placar de 2 a 0 no Estádio da Serrinha, em jogo válido pela 27ª rodada do Brasileirão. Os gols do Verdão foram marcados por Hugo e Morelli, ambos no primeiro tempo. Na reta final do jogo, o Tricolor ainda precisou ouvir gritos de ‘olé’ da torcida mandante. Veja os melhores momentos no vídeo acima.

da luck： FICHA TÉCNICA
GOIÁS 2 x 0 SÃO PAULO
Local:Estádio Hailé Pinheiro (Serrinha), em Goiânia (GO)
Data e hora:18/10/2023 (quarta-feira), às 21h30 (de Brasília)
Árbitro:Rodrigo Jose Pereira de Lima (PE)
Assistentes:Rafael da Silva Alves (RS-Fifa) e Francisco Chaves Bezerra Junior (PE)
VAR:Rodolpho Toski Marques (PR-Fifa)
Público e renda:não divulgado
Cartões amarelos:Willian Oliveira (15’/1ºT), Allano (26’/1ºT), Sidmar (30’/2ªºT) e Matheus Babi (51’/2ºT) para o Goiás; Rafinha (24’/1ºT), Caio Paulista (26’/1ºT) e Pablo Maia (36’/1ºT) para o São Paulo
Cartões vermelhos:não houve
Gols:Hugo (10’/1ºT) (1-0), Morelli (50’/1ºT) (2-0)

GOIÁS:Tadeu;Maguinho, Sidimar, Bruno Melo e Hugo;Willian Oliveira, Morelli e Guilherme (Higor Meritão, aos 39/2ºT); Palacios (Vinícius/14’/2ºT), João Magno (Matheus Babi, aos 12’/2ºT) e Allano (Alesson, aos 12’/2ºT).Técnico:Armando Evangelista

SÃO PAULO:Rafael; Rafinha, Diego Costa, Lucas Beraldo e Caio Paulista; Pablo Maia (Gabriel Neves, 26’/2ºT), Alisson (Michel Araújo, aos 14’/2ºT), Rodrigo Nestor (David, aos 14’/2ºT) e Wellington Rato (Juan, no intervalo); Lucas e Luciano (Erison, no intervalo).Técnico:Dorival Júnior

After spending big on Matheus Cunha and soon Bryan Mbeumo, Manchester United have now turned their focus towards much-needed sales and are reportedly negotiating the departure of a £200,000-a-week star.

Players Man Utd could sell this summer

After finishing 15th and failing to qualify for European football, many expected Manchester United to endure a difficult summer transfer window. So far, that has not proved to be the case, however.

Instead, INEOS have been splashing the cash – first welcoming Cunha for around £63m and then pushing on with an offer worth over £60m to sign Mbeumo from Brentford. But those arrivals are unlikely to come without sacrifice this summer.

On the exit front, the Red Devils must get busy and open the exit door for several players – starting with Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford. Both players are almost certain to leave Old Trafford this summer, but there remain question marks over their next destinations.

In an ideal world, Aston Villa would have the finances to sign Rashford on a permanent deal following a successful loan spell in the second half of last season, but the reality is that their PSR issues are likely to provide an obstacle in the way of any potential deal.

Instead, reports suggest that United could be forced to rely on interested parties such as Barcelona to come swooping in.

Meanwhile, Garnacho’s next destination could come closer to home this summer amid interest from Premier League rivals Chelsea. The Blues could reportedly come calling for a player that Ruben Amorim desperately wants out even if it is to the Blues.

Be it Rashford, Garnacho or one £200,000-a-week star, the Red Devils simply must undergo a significant clear-out before the end of the summer transfer window.

Man Utd now negotiating "complex" Antony exit

As revealed by Real Betis chief Manu Fajardo, Manchester United are now in “complex” negotiations to sell Antony to the Spanish club in a big-money deal this summer. The winger endured a revived spell on loan at Betis in the second half of last season and is now keen to complete a return to the La Liga side.

Farjardo told local reporters as relayed by Sport Witness: “We all have to be aware that this is a very complex operation. Given the player’s level and his recent career at Real Betis, it’s not an easy transaction.

“But, as long as Antony hasn’t committed to a third party, we, with the utmost humility, will play our cards to be able to opt for Antony. I insist, despite this being a complex operation, we will try to carry it out in different ways without compromising the club.”

INEOS in contact for "phenomenal" £86m star who wants to join Man Utd instead of Arsenal

He’s reportedly made a shock transfer U-turn this summer…

ByTom Cunningham Jun 27, 2025

As the Betis sporting director reiterated, it won’t be an easy deal to sign Antony – not least because of his £200,000-a-week salary – but it is one that they’re still negotiating nonetheless this summer.

Chamari Athapaththu’s eighth ODI hundred – an unbeaten 80-ball 140 – helped Sri Lanka ease to an eight-wicket victory via the DLS method, against New Zealand in Galle. The result meant Sri Lanka sealed the ODI series 2-1, their first ever bilateral win over New Zealand.Chasing a revised target of 196 in 29 overs, Sri Lanka seemed to be in a spot of bother at 6 for 2, with both Vishmi Gunaratne and Harshitha Samarawickrama falling early. However, Athapaththu, who had scored a century at the same venue against the same opponents last week, launched a counterattack, racing to the three-figure mark off just 60 deliveries. In total, she hit 13 fours and nine sixes, and in the process moved up to joint-fourth on the list of most ODI hundreds in women’s cricket.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

While Athapaththu was the aggressor, Nilakshi de Silva also pitched in with an unbeaten 48, as the pair added 190 runs for the third wicket – Sri Lanka’s highest ever partnership in ODIs – to seal the win with eight wickets and 13 balls to spare.Earlier, New Zealand had made 127 for 2 in 31 overs on the back of Suzie Bates’ half-century. Opting to bat, New Zealand lost their opener Bernadine Bezuidenhout early, but Bates (63*) and Sophie Devine (38*) kept their team ticking. The pair added an unbroken 74 for the third wicket before persistent rain brought an abrupt end to New Zealand’s innings.

The Test team have joined the white-ball pace-setters in setting numerous new benchmarks

Paul Muchmore16-Dec-2022