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MatériaMais Notícias

De olho nas primeiras posições do Campeonato Brasileiro da Série B, o Grêmio e Criciúma, antes de a bola rolar, pensavam unicamente na vitória na noite desta quinta-feira, em Porto Alegre. Entretanto, apesar das chances criadas em ambos os tempos, as duas equipes acabaram não tirando o zero do placar.

Com o resultado, o clube gaúcho chegou aos 12 pontos ficando na 6ª colocação, enquanto o time catarinense chegou aos 10, ficando uma posição abaixo do Imortal, em 7º. Assim, os times podem ver os primeiros colocados mais distantes, já que Cruzeiro, Bahia e Vasco ainda jogam na rodada.

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BOM INÍCIO DO GRÊMIO

Fazendo valer o fator casa, o Grêmio, logo nos primeiros movimentos, tratou de ir para cima do Criciúma visando abrir a contagem. Apesar de muitas faltas, o Imortal conseguiu criar algumas boas chances, sendo a melhor delas com Gabriel Teixeira pegando um rebote, mas vendo a bola sair por muito pouco.

Aos poucos o Tigre foi se aventurando no ataque. Com isso, conseguiu assustar o goleiro Brenno com o atacante Hygor, que acabou desperdiçando grande chance de marcar.

IMORTAL DESPERDIÇAVA OPORTUNIDADES

Com o tempo passando, o time gaúcho voltou a ditar o ritmo em campo. Até meados dos 35 minutos, Diego Souza, Gabriel Teixeira e companhia esbarravam no goleiro Gustavo, que fazia grandes defesas impedindo que o marcador fosse aberto na Arena.

Na reta final da etapa, o panorama seguiu igual. Porém, o jogador mais acionado passou a ser Elkson, que chegou a receber bons passes, mas sempre parando na forte marcação adversária que conseguiu segurar o empate parcial sem gols.

GRÊMIO SEGUIA MARTELANDO, MAS SEM EFEITO

Na volta para etapa final, com os dois treinadores mantendo o esquema tático inicial, o Tricolor continuou melhor em campo. Porém, mesmo com mais posse de bola, praticamente não assustava o goleiro rival, dando até algumas oportunidades ao Criciúma que também não aproveitava.

Tentando melhorar um pouco o rendimento de sua equipe, o técnico Roger Machado então resolveu promover algumas trocas, colocando Sarará e Campaz nos lugares de Lucas Silva e Rodrigues, respectivamente. Por outro lado, Cláudio Tencati não esperou muito tempo e também optou por algumas substituições, entre elas aumentando principalmente seu poder ofensivo ao colocar Caio Dantas e Renan Bressan.

RETA FINAL COM EMOÇÃO

Mesmo com as modificações promovidas pelos dois comandantes, o duelo pouco ganhou em velocidade e criatividade até meados dos 28 minutos. Sendo assim, chegou a irritar a torcida do Grêmio, mesmo em pouco número, que passou a vaiar os jogadores.

Fazendo suas últimas investidas, o time gaúcho praticamente passou a pressionar o Tigre, que por sua vez, apenas se defendia do jeito que podia. Mesmo com algumas chances aparecendo, as redes não balançaram até os acréscimos, dando a deixa para a arbitragem colocar um ponto final no duelo em Porto Alegre, com direito a muita insatisfação vinda das arquibancadas entre os torcedores do Imortal.

FICHA TÉCNICA
GRÊMIO 0x0 CRICIÚMA

Data e horário: 19/05/2022, às 19h (de Brasília)
​Local: Arena do Grêmio, em Porto Alegre (RS)
Árbitro:Wilton Pereira Sampaio (GO)
Assistentes:Bruno Boschilia (PR) e Rafael Trombeta (PR)
VAR:Wagner Reway (PB)

Cartões Amarelos: Gabriel Teixeira, 3’/1ºT;Lucas Silva, 13’/1ºT;Gustavo, 15’/2ºT;Fellipe Mateus, 16’/2ºT;Caio Dantas, 24’/2ºT

Gols: Anselmo Ramon, 26’/1ºT (1-0);

GRÊMIO:Breno; Rodrigues (Campaz, aos 11’/2ºT), Geromel, Bruno Alves e Nicolas; Lucas Silva (Mateus Sarará, aos 11’/2ºT), Villasanti, Bitelo e Biel; Diego Souza e Elkson (Elias, 26’/2ºT).
(Técnico: Roger Machado)

CRICIÚMA:Gustavo; Claudinho (Cristovam, aos 39’/2ºT), Rodrigo, Rayan e Marcelo Hermes; Léo Costa, Arilson e Felipe Matheus; Thiago Alagoano (Caio Dantas, 19’/2ºT), Rafael Bilu e Hygor (Renan Bressan, aos 19’/2ºT).
(Técnico: Claudio Tencati)

Shimron Hetmyer, Keemo Paul and Gudakesh Motie have all been ruled out of the ODI series against New Zealand, which will potentially be crucial to West Indies’ hopes of direct qualification to the 2023 50-over World Cup.Hetmyer has withdrawn for personal reasons while Paul is out because of an injury, and Motie has failed to recover from the hand injury he sustained while playing against India last month.Related

• West Indies include Kevin Sinclair for New Zealand ODIs; Shimron Hetmyer returns

• Ben Sears replaces injured Matt Henry in squad for West Indies ODIs

The three games are West Indies’ last of the Super League. They are currently in sixth position with 80 points, having won eight and lost 13 of their 21 fixtures so far. Depending on how many points they take from this series there is a chance they could slip out of the top eight – direct-qualification positions – for next year’s World Cup, to be played in India.”The pressure has been on from the beginning to try and win cricket games but this team has been together for a while now,” captain Nicholas Pooran said. “We knew that this series was for points. The pressure, I don’t think we are looking at it from that perspective, in terms of we have to win and must get points. The guys know what’s at stake here and we know what we have to do to be successful.”Jermaine Blackwood, who played his only two previous ODIs back in 2015, and uncapped legspin-bowling allrounder Yannic Cariah have been called into the squad for the three games in Barbados, with Odean Smith travelling as a reserve. Cariah, 30, was recently a part of the West Indies A side that played two four-day games against Bangladesh A.”Now is the right time to integrate him into the senior team set-up,” Desmond Haynes said of Yannic Cariah•Getty Images

“Hetmyer has to attend to a family matter in Guyana. Unfortunately, Motie is not yet able to rejoin the squad and Keemo is struggling with an injury,” West Indies’ lead selector Desmond Haynes said. “However, it provides an opportunity for Yannic Cariah to get a chance. He is someone that has been performing well on the regional circuit and we feel now is the right time to integrate him into the senior team set-up.”Kevin Sinclair, the offspinner who is uncapped in ODIs, is also a new face in the squad. Roston Chase had earlier been ruled out through injury and Fabian Allen for personal reasons.”We are looking to broaden the pool of players and we have decided to give Sinclair an opportunity,” Haynes said. “He has been in the system for a while and was also in the A team to play against Bangladesh A in the upcoming series. We believe with his calm approach and skills he will do well in the matches against New Zealand.”West Indies ODI squad: Nicholas Pooran (capt), Shai Hope, Jermaine Blackwood, Shamarh Brooks, Yannic Cariah, Keacy Carty, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Jayden Seales, Kevin Sinclair.

Harry Kane insisted Bayern Munich can "live with a point" after his side drew 2-2 with arch-rivals Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga.

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Der Klassiker ended 2-2Bayern six points clearTitle within their reachFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

A 75th-minute equaliser from Waldemar Anton allowed eighth-placed Dortmund to leave the Allianz Arena with a hard-fought point, but with title-chasing Bayer Leverkusen also denied a win against Union Berlin, Bayern continue to edge closer to the Bundesliga trophy. With five games left, Kane has insisted this could be a crucial result come the end of the season.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The England captain seems destined to end his long wait for a major trophy win this season, with Vincent Kompany steadily steering Bayern towards the Bundesliga title. Following the BVB clash, Kane maintained the importance of taking things "game by game" and waiting to see how much this point is worth at the end of the season.

WHAT KANE SAID

Kane said: "I think we can live with the point. It was an intense game; both teams had chances. In the first half, we stood well, conceded few chances, but also didn't create much going forward. In the second half, things became more open; we took more risks and were more vulnerable at the back. Despite that, we scored two nice goals, which is something to take away. In the end, it was a game that could have gone either way. It was certainly attractive for the spectators. Now we have to take it game by game, give it our all, and then we'll see what this point is worth in the end."

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR KANE?

No one can question Kane's contribution this campaign, with the 31-year-old scoring 33 goals in 2024-25 as he increasingly shows how settled he is in Bavaria. The England star — who has faced criticism in recent weeks — will need to be on top form in Bayern's next match, with Kompany's outfit hoping to overturn a 2-1 deficit and get past their Champions League opponents Inter in their quarter-final second-leg tie on Wednesday.

Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting believes Rishabh Pant will be “exceptionally dangerous” on “fast and bouncy” Australian pitches during the upcoming T20 World Cup, where he could be best utilised as a “floater” as per match situation.Ponting has worked closely with Pant at Delhi Capitals and rates the Indian wicketkeeper-batter very highly.”He [Pant] is a wonderful player. He is just an outstanding young man, who has got the world at his feet. And he’ll be exceptionally dangerous for India, especially on the wickets we’ll provide in Australia…. good flat, fast, bouncy wickets. He’ll be one of the players to watch out [for] in the tournament [T20 World Cup] for sure,” Ponting said on ICC Review.For Ponting, Pant’s batting position should be flexible as per the Indian team’s requirements.”I reckon having him as a floater. I’ll probably have him listed at (No.) 5 in the [Indian] batting line-up.”But in certain situations, where it gets to a stage where there are seven-eight overs to go and they are one-two down, then I will look at sending him in and giving as much time as I possibly can. He is that dynamic and that explosive and that is certainly the way I would look at trying to use him,” Ponting said.In a press conference on the eve of the first T20I, Pant had been asked about the possibility of playing a floating role.”I think it depends. We will see the conditions,” he had said. “If we feel like we need a floating batting line-up, we will take it forward. I don’t think in these kinds of conditions we want a floating batting line-up. The kind of batting line-up we have, leftie-rightie is not a big deal for us because we play spinners day in and day out. So we will try not to do a lot but at the same time, if we need to, we will.”Pant managed to score just 340 runs from 14 IPL games in 2022 with an average of 30.91. And according to Ponting, Pant was frustrated with his performance in the IPL.”He probably didn’t have his best tournament. I know he was really frustrated with his IPL this year because he went into the tournament batting better than I’ve ever seen him bat before.”And even by his own admission, he said the same thing to me, halfway through the tournament that he didn’t feel he was getting results that he probably should have and that he probably deserved. And as I kept reinforcing that thing to him at the nets that that’s a T20 game. You make a little error of judgement on your 15th or 18th ball, and you are 35 not out at that stage and all of a sudden your game is over. That’s sort of how it felt for him and the team through that last tournament.”

Opener’s unbeaten 118 shows benefit of winter technical work

Paul Edwards05-May-2022

Dom Sibley anchored Warwickshire with a century•Getty Images

Dominic Sibley will never be a gainly cricketer but he might become an exceptionally effective one once more. Those Warwickshire and England supporters who watched Sibley struggle dreadfully when playing Test cricket last summer would be heartened by such a renaissance and they may be further encouraged when he finally talks about the work he did over the winter.The evidence of that labour – apparently Sibley was often in the Edgbaston nets at eight in the morning – was plain during this marvellously well-contested day at Emirates Old Trafford. When it ended, in glorious May sunlight, the opener had 118 runs against his name. He had batted through the three sessions and had faced 278 balls, 15 of which he had hit for four. So much, so statistical. But the true merit of his innings was plain not in its figures – he has made centuries before, some of them big ones, two of them in Test matches – but in the manner the runs were made.It is, of course, absurd to say Sibley should now be recalled to the England side. Yet innings like this revealed an improved technique and underlying that, the sort of humble, illusionless approach any sportsman needs if he is to recover from the setbacks that will certainly be part of his career. The late wickets taken by Lancashire with the new ball may have given their side the slightest of edges but there is little doubt whose contribution will attract the most notice when this game is reported on the media’s many platforms. Sibley’s “journey”, to borrow the current buzz-word, might be one from which other young cricketers can learn and perhaps it began, ironically, with opting not to play for an England team.When selected for the England Lions squad last autumn it would have been easy for Sibley to go to Australia in the hope of picking up a big hundred and somehow getting straight back in the Test team. Instead, he clearly recognised that such an approach would do little for his technical shortcomings and he opted to spend his winter mornings with Tony Frost and the other Warwickshire coaches in the Edgbaston nets, working on his balance and rebuilding a game that had come close to disintegration in two Tests against India’s pace attack.As a result, Sibley’s batting is no longer an unlucky bag of technical problems. He does not fall across the line of the ball; his hands are less likely to grope out towards the off side; his attacking strokes to leg in front of square have become controlled clips rather than wild shovels. He is also playing much straighter, with his head over the ball; a fine straight drive off George Balderson was a perfect example off this modification. In short he no longer topples over like a hat-stand in a stiff breeze. His batting is characterised by commitment without compulsion.There were sins amid all this righteousness; Sibley’s 380-minute innings was chanceless but by no means faultless. Yet one only needed to recall his fraught cricket last year to realise how much has now changed. And one had to see the struggles some of his partners endured to understand the merit of his innings.The first wicket to fall was that of Alex Davies, whose departure from Lancashire last July came as a surprise to most people at Emirates Old Trafford, maybe even, in a sense, to Davies himself. However, the opener experienced a more predictable leave-taking in the third over of the day’s play when he shouldered arms to a ball from Tom Bailey and lost his off stump. Davies had already been flummoxed twice by his former colleague so one can hardly say his dismissal for an eight-ball eight-minute nought was much of a shock.Sibley’s difficulties, though, have never been of the temperamental variety and throughout the rest of the day he bore the departures of his partners with a phlegmatic shrug. Nearly an hour after Davies’ dismissal, Rob Yates was bowled for 15 by a fine outswinger from Luke Wood that curved back from a middle-stump line and knocked out the off stick. The stump had barely stopped moving before Sibley had turned to the dressing room and indicated he needed new gloves. It would be wrong to interpret this as indifference to reverses; rather it revealed a determination to prepare for a new stage in his side’s innings. The over after Yates was dismissed Sibley cover- and straight-drove Balderson for fours. It was hard to recall him playing the second of those strokes with comparable assurance a year ago.Lancashire, though, are a flinty bunch of cricketers and they allowed Warwickshire few liberties in the afternoon session. Sam Hain batted very competently for his 38 runs but then turned a legspinner from Matt Parkinson into a full toss and drove it to straight to short extra-cover where Rob Jones, the substitute fielder, took the catch above his head. Will Rhodes, who seems out of sorts at present, went back to a legspinner from Parkinson when he should have gone forward and was bowled for 16.Warwickshire came into tea on 169 for 4 and by then it was clear that the nature of the day, although not its balance, might be defined by whether or not Sibley, who was on 76, completed one of the most important centuries of his career. That matter was resolved relatively swiftly. A glanced four off Bailey and a cut off Wood took him nearer the nineties and two fours off Parkinson eased nerves. A single off Balderson brought up the landmark but Sibley acknowledged the matter in the most low-key fashion. He probably knows there is so much more to do in this match, this season and his career. Others can kiss badges if they wish.Lancashire, though, struck the day’s final important blows. Bailey, who seems never to bowl badly, had both Chris Benjamin and Michael Burgess leg before wicket, the former for a fine 47, and Hasan Ali snared Danny Briggs well caught at slip by Keaton Jennings. Sibley watched from the other end and then trudged off. Weather permitting, he will be there again tomorrow. And suddenly, it looks as though there might be a lot of fine tomorrows for him.

MatériaMais Notícias

Após ser derrotado pelo Coritiba na Arena da Baixada, o Athletico volta a campo no domingo para encarar o maior rival, no Couto Pereira.

– VEJA A TABELA DA SÉRIE A DO BRASILEIRÃO

Com o revés por 2 a 1, o Furacão tem a necessidade de vencer por dois gols de diferença para ficar com a vaga. Se vencer pela vantagem mínima, a vaga será definida nos pênaltis.

Alberto Valentim

Uma das mudanças para o Atletiba vem no banco de reservas. O técnico Alberto Valentim está suspenso e o time será comandado por Lucho González.

Provável escalação: Santos; Dani Bolt, Pedro Henrique, Thiago Heleno (Zé Ivaldo) e Abner; Christian, Pablo Siles e David Terans; Davi Araújo, Jader e Pablo

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MatériaMais Notícias

A boa fase do originalmente lateral-esquerdo Luciano Juba tem sido um dos pontos altos do Sport no início de temporada. Com três gols e três assistências em 11 jogos, o jogador de 22 anos de idade tem sido um dos destaques ofensivos do Leão, algo que ficou em evidência diante do protagonismo na vitória por 3 a 2 sobre o Bahia, fora de casa, pela Copa do Nordeste.

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Com o gol e a assistência dadas por ele, a equipe encerrou seu longo jejum de sete partidas sem vencer e, de quebra, ele foi coroado como o melhor jogador da partida.

– Foi uma vitória muito importante pro grupo. Sabíamos da importância desse clássico, que seria um jogo difícil, mas graças a Deus conseguimos fazer um bom jogo e sair com o resultado positivo. Só tenho a agradecer a Deus por tudo que Ele vem fazendo comigo nesse início de temporada. Acredito que seja fruto de bastante trabalho. Vínhamos trabalhando muito forte e graças a Deus as coisas voltaram a dar certo para a gente – declarou.

Um dos combustíveis para Juba é o incentivo que vem das arquibancadas. Entre aplausos e vaias, a torcida pulsante do Sport é creditada por ele como um dos principais motivos para que os atletas rendam o máximo. Agora, o atleta quer que a virada de chave contra o Bahia resulte em uma sequência positiva na reta final do Campeonato Pernambucano.

– A torcida é sempre um jogador a mais pra gente. É muito importante ter a torcida dentro do estádio nos apoiando e incentivando. Temos uma sequência difícil pelo estadual agora. Estamos focados jogo a jogo. Vamos enfrentar o Salgueiro para depois pensarmos no clássico. Sabemos que é muito difícil jogar contra o Salgueiro na casa deles, mas vamos dar nosso melhor para sair com o resultado positivo – prometeu Juba.

O próximo desafio do Sport para tentar manter a empolgação da quebra de sequência negativa virá nesta terça-feira (8), diante do Salgueiro, às 19h30 (de Brasília), no Cornélio de Barros, em duelo atrasado da sexta rodada do Pernambucano. Nesse momento, a equipe é sexta colocada, com nove pontos ganhos, e está no limite da zona de classificação para as quartas de final.

Over the past few seasons, Wolverhampton Wanderers have developed a link with Portugal. They have had several Portuguese players at the club for the past few years, and whilst that is not so much the case any more, there was a point where much of their squad hailed from there.

Perhaps the best example of this was in the 2022/23 season. The Old Gold had upwards of ten players from Portugal in their first-team squad. That included the likes of veteran midfielder Joao Moutinho, wingers Pedro Neto and Daniel Podence, and goalkeeper Jose Sa.

However, arguably the best of the bunch was Ruben Neves, who was fantastic during his time at Molineux.

Wolves' Molineux hero

Porto academy graduate Neves enjoyed a stellar time in the Midlands, in a career that spanned six seasons. He signed from the Portuguese giants in 2017, with his £15.8m move to Molineux a record signing for a Championship at the time.

In total, he played 253 games for the Old Gold, scoring 30 times and registering 13 assists in that time. He played a crucial part in their promotion in 2017/18, before helping Wolves to qualify for Europe under Nuno Espirito Santo.

The 54-cap international certainly scored an impressive number of goals from defensive midfield. However, he became famous for his long-range strikes and was not shy of shooting from distance, both from open play and set-pieces.

During his time at Molineux, there were few players who were better to watch with the ball at their feet than Neves. His ability to dictate play from deep in midfield, and ping long passes all over the park were second to none, leading football talent scout Jacek Kulig to describe him as an “orchestrator”.

He was made captain of the side for his final season, with then-manager Julen Lopetegui giving him the armband as the Old Gold secured survival despite an appalling start to the campaign.

Sadly for the Midlands club, both Neves and Lopetegui left in the summer of 2023. Neves made the move to Saudi Arabia, following in the footsteps of many high-profile players. He left for Al-Hilal, joining for a fee of £47m and became Wolves’ all-time record sale at the time.

Despite his expensive move, it has not been all plain sailing for the former Wolves skipper, and he has seen has value drop considerably from the £47m they sold him for 18 months ago.

Neves’ value in 2024

The 27-year-old has performed well in the Middle East and has been a vital player for Al-Hilal since making the move in 2023. So far, he has featured 59 times for the club, scoring seven goals and registering 13 assists.

The former Wolves midfielder has certainly had a successful time of things when it comes to winning silverware. He has lifted five trophies in an Al-Hilal shirt so far, including the domestic title in Saudi Arabia.

Despite what seems to be a successful move for the most part, Neves’ value has dropped significantly since his transfer. Now, according to Football Transfers, the midfielder is worth just £11.5m.

Year

Club

Value

2017

Wolves

£14.8m

2019

Wolves

£17.4m

2021

Wolves

£37.7m

2022

Wolves

£36.8m

2023

Al-Hilal

£45.7m

2024

Al-Hilal

£30.3m

Today

Al-Hilal

£11.5m

That is an outrageous drop off of £35.5m and a decrease of 75.5%. Even though the midfielder is not having a bad time of things in the Middle East, the move away from a high-profile European League seems to have affected his value considerably.

Overall, even though they lost one of their best players, it seems Wolves’ decision to sell Neves was a masterstroke. They managed to rake in their then-record transfer income, which they can reinvest for future investment.

Wolves targeted “Europe's most wanted” manager, they got Lopetegui & O'Neil

Wolves almost appointed a leading manager in 2022

ByJoe Nuttall Nov 7, 2024

Everton manager Sean Dyche will only be too aware that his side face Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City in December.

That’s a run of opponents that would strike fear into any club in the Premier League – including all of the aforementioned. For the Toffees, it’s especially concerning, not least because they are 16th in the standings after 11 matches, only three points above Ipswich Town, who sit in 18th.

Not to be pessimistic, but the Toffees’ present attacking fluency simply will not do. The wintry period is bound to inflict adversity upon the Merseysiders, and the frontline must raise its level.

Everton's flagging frontline

Everton are beset with some rather uninspiring attacking metrics this season, having been one of the least effective attacking outfits in the Premier League.

The Premier League’s Worst Attacking Teams (24/25)

Rank

Team

Shots (on target)

xG

Goals scored

16.

Manchester United

153 (55)

17.4

12

16=

Ipswich Town

108 (33)

10.1

12

18.

Everton

131 (43)

11.9

10

19.

Crystal Palace

157 (50)

13.8

8

20.

Southampton

112 (31)

11.9

7

Stats via FBref

Some of this struggle owes itself to Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s inability to harness the prolificness that we know lies latent within his skill set, but it is more indicative of Dyche’s style as a whole.

This is hardly an anomaly either. Last term, though Everton were comfortable despite being hit with an eight-point deduction, they scored just 40 goals across 38 league fixtures, better than only bottom-finishing Sheffield United.

Everton need something… more. Calvert-Lewin is obviously excellent on his day, provides a focal presence. Iliman Ndiaye is an electric and exciting winger, while Dwight McNeil has hit a new layer of potency this term.

But the Blues need to up the ante in the final third if they are to finally break the bonds that have shackled them to endless frustration around the relegation zone over the past several years.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast's Where Are They Now series.

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Ademola Lookman would be perfect, but the Atalanta forward hasn’t played for Everton in quite a while now.

Everton flop is now rivalling Messi & Kane

90min’s Sean Walsh has described Lookman as a “superstar”, and it’s probably an apt thing to say, in truth, for the versatile forward has been brilliant in recent years and scored a hat-trick to dismantle Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League final last season, sending Xabi Alonso’s immortal team into a tail-spin.

Rewarded for his triumph by being placed 14th in the Men’s Ballon d’Or final rankings, awarded earlier this month, Lookman has certainly come a long way since his struggles to assert himself with Everton in English football.

Indeed, Lookman scored four goals across 48 outings for Everton, having joined the club from Charlton Athletic in a deal worth £11m back in 2017, aged 19.

In fairness, while Lookman didn’t manage to bring his raw qualities together at Goodison Park, he did depart for a pretty penny, with RB Leipzig signing the rising star for a £22.5m fee in 2019, having previously taken him into their German brood in 2017/18 – where he posted five goals and four assists across only 11 Bundesliga appearances.

He’s since gone from strength to strength, with his hat-trick for La Dea last season completing a haul of 17 goals and ten assists across all competitions.

The 27-year-old hasn’t exactly slowed down this year, already boasting eight goals and five assists across 14 matches for Atalanta, instrumental in helping Gian Pieri Gasperini’s second-placed side challenge for the Serie A title.

As per FBref, he ranks among the top 5% of forwards across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goals scored, the top 1% for shot-creating actions, the top 5% for progressive passes, the top 3% for progressive carries and the top 1% for tackles per 90.

Clearly, he’s not just a goalscorer. He’s not even just a well-rounded, multi-faceted attacking outlet. Lookman is a force to be reckoned with for the Italians, operating beyond the confines of expected positional virtues, instead producing performances that encompass so many areas of the pitch.

Well, would you take a look at that. Lookman’s keenly clinical edge is seeing him put in some pretty impressive conversations, with CIES Football Observatory conveying a list – via Wyscout’s statistical system – that reveals his goal-contribution rate is up there with the best.

Namely, Lionel Messi and Harry Kane.

Neither forward needs an introduction, but the very fact that Lookman’s vein of performance has been sustained and directed at Atalanta, to a point that puts him alongside such names (as well as Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski) is a rueful thing for Everton, who might have helped him realise his potential on Merseyside in some alternate football reality.

Premier League All-time Top Scorers

#

Player

Apps

Goals

Strike rate

1

Alan Shearer

441

260

0.59

2

Harry Kane

320

213

0.67

3

Wayne Rooney

491

208

0.42

4

Andy Cole

414

187

0.45

5

Sergio Aguero

275

184

0.67

Source: Premier League

This summer, top European outfits such as Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain were interested in signing the Nigerian, and Atalanta responded by demanding €70m (£59m) recompense for the loss of their trophy-winning talisman. This, obviously, dissuaded the parties in question.

Even so, he’d have fetched a pretty penny. Perhaps another suitor, in different circumstances, would have forked out a greater fee for this mercurial talent.

It could have been so much more for Everton, who need a striker of Lookman’s quality, and could definitely do with banking on such an illustrious star.

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Posts ByEthan Lamb Nov 14, 2024

Tottenham Hotspur bounced back from a defeat at Crystal Palace to knock Premier League champions Man City out of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, and it is believed that a player who starred in the game is now attracting real attention.

Tottenham 2-1 Man City – match report

Lilywhites supporters couldn’t have asked for a better response after their damaging loss at Selhurst Park on Sunday, with a victory against one of Europe’s best teams going some way to restore faith in manager Ange Postecoglou following Spurs’ mixed start to 2024/2025.

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ByEmilio Galantini Oct 30, 2024

Timo Werner opened the scoring early doors with a thunderous finish past Stefan Ortega in the City net, restoring some much-needed confidence and recording his first successful attempt since March.

Uncertainty surrounds Werner’s long-term future at Tottenham, as reports suggest Postecoglou’s side may not take up their buy option, so the Germany international’s display was a much-needed one – even if he did miss a gaping chance to double their lead.

Appearances

12

Goals

1

Assists

1

Minutes played

514

Midfielder Pape Matar Sarr was then on hand to double Spurs’ advantage with a powerful, long-range effort past Ortega and into the bottom corner – gifting some breathing room between the home and away side.

Matheus Nunes grabbed one back for City just before half-time, and did threaten a last-gasp equaliser in the second half’s dying moments, with Yves Bissouma clearing a late effort right off the line. However, the north Londoners eventually managed to hold on and seal their place in the Carabao quarter-finals, where they will host Manchester United at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

“It was an important win,” said Postecoglou on Tottenham’s 2-1 victory over City.

“Obviously in the cup competitions you have to win to continue in it so that is the first thing. Look, you’re playing against an unbelievable side and they’re going to ask you all sorts of questions and they did today. I thought we defended well as we didn’t give away many clear-cut opportunities but we did have to defend and I thought we did that well.

“In our attacking moments we had some really top quality moments and we had some really good chances to finish the game off what we didn’t take. But great resilience from the boys to sort of hold out. When you play City they’re going to ask you every question there is and for the most part I thought we handled it ok.”

Tottenham defender Radu Dragusin's agents fielding approaches

One player who really impressed during the contest was Radu Dragusin, helping to keep City at bay for the entirety of the second half.

The Romania international was called “outstanding” for his display by journalist Graeme Bailey, who also shared an update on his future.

Indeed, it is believed Dragusin’s agents are fielding enquiries outside of Tottenham ahead of January, but this is only to keep their options open, as both the player and club currently have no desire for him to change scenery.

Napoli, AC Milan and Juventus are all apparently keen to bring him back to Serie A, but it is believed Postecoglou and co are eager to keep hold of him now, as his N17 career starts to steadily get off the ground after a difficult start.

Signed from Genoa in January for around £26.7 million, the 22-year-old has gone on to make 15 total appearances, but he could steadily be about to make many more.