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Leicester City slumped to their second Premier League loss of the season after reigning champions Manchester City left the King Power Stadium with a 1-0 victory on Saturday.

The Foxes had already defeated the Cityzens this season, securing the Community Shield in the opening fixture of 2021/22, but they couldn’t repeat the trick this time around.

It was an exciting, evenly contested game, though, and Brendan Rodgers will have come away thinking about what could have been had his side taken one of their big chances.

Winger Harvey Barnes came closest to finding the back on the net, having one effort well saved by Ederson before clipping the top of the bar with a late effort.

However, it was arguably another one of Leicester’s first-team regulars who really let Rodgers down against Manchester City.

As per SofaScore, Youri Tielemans received a match rating of just 6.2 out of 10, the lowest tally for any player on the pitch, and when taking a closer inspection at his underlying numbers, it’s clear to see why.

The Belgium international midfielder was suffocated in the centre of the pitch and was unable to get on the ball regularly or find his teammates with penetrative passes on the rare occasions that he was in possession.

As a result, the technically gifted maestro achieved a passing accuracy of just 79%, failed to make any key passes and had only 55 touches of the ball, 10 fewer than goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel managed.

Tielemans also lost possession 15 times during the 90 minutes and struggled physically, winning just four of his 11 duels in Leicester’s engine room.

The 24-year-old’s inability to win the midfield battle significantly hampered his side’s chances of securing a positive result over the champions, and Rodgers has every right to feel let down by one of his side’s star men.

And, in other news…Get it done: Leicester make contact over £30m wizard, he’s a “great talent”

West Ham United boss David Moyes has confirmed a huge boost ahead of tonight’s Europa League group stage opener…

What’s the latest?

The Irons are about to embark on a historic campaign as they will be making their debut at this stage of the competition and they will do so with a fully fit squad at the 58-year-old’s disposal.

Speaking ahead of kickoff, via the club’s official website, the Scot said:

“We’ve got no injuries; we have everybody fit and available.

“I’ll look at it because we have a busy programme, but overall everybody is fit and available and we’re really looking forward to it. We’re pleased to be on the road, and I think we’re all excited about being here.

“We’ve got a lot of people who we can make changes with, but we’re also trying to make sure that we choose and pick [teams] the right way if we can, and get the selection correct.”

Huge boost

Considering the injury troubles that Moyes and the squad had to deal with last season, this is massively encouraging news and could be crucial in the long run as the starting XI will need to be rotated regularly in the coming months.

The Hammers will be playing two games per week for the foreseeable future and it’s unreasonable to expect the same line-up to feature in every match.

For example, the east Londoners remain unbeaten in the Premier League and face table-topping Manchester United on Sunday afternoon, so Moyes will surely have one eye on that game, whilst also wanting to get off to the perfect start in Europe.

He must find the right balance and after some shrewd acquisitions during the summer transfer window, he does now appear to be well-equipped right across the pitch, barring up front where it still is only Michail Antonio.

The 31-year-old is likely to get a run-out this evening as he’ll be suspended for the visit of the Red Devils at the weekend, so that’s another boost in itself as Moyes will be able to call upon his in-form talisman.

“Mich might’ve been someone we’d have considered leaving out, but I think with the situation being the way it is at the moment, I don’t think we’ll do that,” the boss revealed.

The travelling West Ham faithful should be absolutely buzzing with this news as it means they’ll get to witness a full-strength side go to battle in a European group stage for the very first time in their history.

Towards the back end of last season, Moyes lost players like Antonio, Declan Rice and Aaron Cresswell to injury, so to have them all fit and available is certainly a huge boost to their chances of delivering the goods in Croatia.

AND in other news, Forget Benrahma: Moyes must unleash “first-class” West Ham gem, could be game-changing…

John Buchanan has added his voice to the chorus of those backing Andy Flower for the England coaching position

Alex Brown07-Apr-2009John Buchanan has added his voice to the chorus of those backing Andy Flower for the England coaching position. Buchanan, who was himself approached to take on the role by the ECB’s head-hunting firm, suggested Flower’s inside knowledge of England’s personnel and structures would ensure a smoother transition in an Ashes year.”Obviously Andy Flower, who is currently doing the job and was assistant coach prior to previous coach leaving, has a good insight into how the team operates and the sort of dynamic he would like, and therefore the sort of structure and people he would like around him,” Buchanan told Cricinfo’s Switch Hit podcast. “I guess he would have the inside running. As I’ve read, there seem to be some very good candidates and that’s a very important thing in terms of making the final selection. But probably even more important than the right person is getting the right structure in and around the team.”The ECB will begin interviewing the short-list of candidates for the national coaching job in the coming days. Flower remains the warm favourite to assume on a full-time basis the position he has held in an interim capacity since Peter Moores’ inglorious departure in January, although John Wright is not without his supporters.Wright, the former coach of India and current high performance manager of New Zealand Cricket, achieved great success during his days with the BCCI and represents a “clean slate” option to an England team that is carrying its share of baggage following the damaging Pietersen-Moores split. He was reluctant to discuss his interest in the England job when contacted by Cricinfo during the week, but sources in New Zealand have confirmed he is eager to take on the role if appointed by the ECB.Buchanan, meanwhile, reiterated his desire to join the ECB in a consultancy capacity ahead of this year’s Ashes series. Hugh Morris, the managing director of England cricket, last week told the he was keen to hire Buchanan – who, until recently, worked with Cricket Australia in a similar role – and the former Australian coach is amenable to the idea.”Certainly, yes, I am very interested in taking on some sort of consultancy role if that’s what the ECB are to pursue,” Buchanan said. “I’m keen to talk to them about that and how I might possibly assist their cricket in whatever way that might be.”

Cricinfo previews the IPL game between Delhi Daredevils and Mumbai Indians to be played in East London

The Preview by Siddhartha Talya08-May-2009Match factsMay 8, 2009
Start time 16.30 local, (14:30 GMT)Will Virender Sehwag be fit enough to play?•AFPBig PictureMumbai Indians had themselves to blame for the collapse against Deccan Chargers which deprived them of a spot in the top four. They start underdogs against Delhi Daredevils who’ve played fewer games than the rest of the teams but still sit third in the points table. Mumbai have lost each time they have chased this season, squandering winning positions to slip down to seventh place, just above the struggling Kolkata Knight Riders. Their capitulation under pressure, and failure to finish off games hurt them badly last season, and the trend this year is no different. Equally worrying has been their excessive reliance on JP Duminy to hole them out of difficult situations. His three 40-plus scores, including two half-centuries, in Mumbai’s three defeats while chasing demonstrate the huge responsibility he’s had to bear amid little support from his team-mates. Mumbai need a win desperately, and though a positive result may not haul them into the top four, it will mark a step towards a much-needed turnaround in a crucial phase in the tournament.Delhi won’t worry too much about points, for as much as they would want to regain the No.1 spot, their place in the top four, for the moment, remains safe. They have been boosted by the consistency of AB de Villiers, and especially Tillakaratne Dilshan. And with their new opening combination of David Warner and Gautam Gambhir coming good against Kolkata, the tournament’s dominant team looks good to consolidate its impressive run.Form guide (completed matches, most recent first)Mumbai Indians: LLWLW
Mumbai’s new inclusions Dhawal Kulkarni and Rohan Raje had a good outing against Deccan, but Harbhajan Singh has gone wicketless in his last three games. Sachin Tendulkar was averaging 81 after Mumbai’s first three games, but since then he’s only managed 48 runs in his last four innings.Delhi Daredevils: WLWLW
The fast-bowling trio of Dirk Nannes, Ashish Nehra and Pradeep Sangwan have been fairly consistent, though Nannes had an off day against Kolkata. The three have taken 24 wickets at 24.9, with Nehra being the leading wicket-taker. Gambhir, desperate for runs, top-scored against Kolkata with a lucky 71 – he was dropped twice – but the runs will give him some much-needed confidence in a relatively disappointing IPL.Watch out forVirender Sehwag and Gambhir had averaged 23.8 for the first wicket, while Warner and Gambhir have averaged 40 in their two games together. Tweaks in the opening combination notwithstanding, their battle against Mumbai’s new-look bowling attack with Raje and Kulkarni, backed up by Lasith Malinga, who put in a disciplined effort in their previous game, will make for an interesting contest. Malinga has been particularly impressive, with 12 wickets in seven games at 10.66, conceding just over five an over.Team newsDelhi may not tinker too much with their line-up, though Sehwag could make a comeback after missing two games. In the event of his inclusion, Mithun Manhas may be asked to sit out, which also means Daniel Vettori would have to miss out for Warner to play.Delhi Daredevils (probable): 1 David Warner, 2 Virender Sehwag, 3 Gautam Gambhir, 4 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 5 AB de Villiers, 6 Dinesh Karthik, 7 Rajat Bhatia, 8 Amit Mishra, 9 Pradeep Sangwan, 10 Ashish Nehra, 11 Dirk NannesMumbai made three changes to their team for their game against Deccan, leaving out Shikhar Dhawan and Ajinkya Rahane to play Saurabh Tiwary. On the bowling front, Kulkarni and Raje were inducted after Zaheer Khan was ruled out by a shoulder injury. The three players look likely to retain their places, but Abhishek Nayar’s injudicious sweep at a critical stage in Mumbai’s previous game – he missed and was bowled – would certainly not have gone down well with the team’s think-tank. Nor would have Harbhajan Singh’s swipe the next ball; his performance with the ball, too, has been fairly low key but his exclusion would prove a big gamble.Mumbai Indians (probable): 1 Sanath Jayasuriya, 2 Sachin Tendulkar, 3 JP Duminy, 4 Dwayne Bravo, 5 Abhishek Nayar/Jaidev Shah, 6 Saurabh Tiwary, 7 Pinal Shah, 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 Rohan Raje, 10 Dhawal Kulkarni, 11 Lasith Malinga.Stats and triviaDilshan has scored 231 runs at an average of 77 in seven matches, while JP Duminy has made 238 at 47.60 in as many games. Both are the highest run-getters for their teams this season.Sanath Jayasuriya and Sachin Tendulkar have averaged 31.14 for the first wicket, but have only averaged 12 in the last four games.Head-to-head recordThe teams won a game each when they went head-to-head last season. Nehra, Shaun Pollock and Kulkarni combined to overcome an onslaught from Sehwag and seal a 29-run win for Mumbai in the first game. The second game was much more closely-fought with Mumbai letting it slip after limiting Delhi to 89 for 4 in pursuit of 177, to eventually lose by five wickets on the penultimate ball.

Arsenal have been linked with a move for Noa Lang, who could well bring shades of Alexis Sanchez back to the Emirates Stadium…

What’s the word?

According to reports in Spain (via The Sun), the Gunners are lining up a swoop for the Club Brugge winger after continuing his fine form from 2020/21 into this campaign.

It’s thought that their offer could be in the region of £20m, whilst Premier League rivals Leeds United have been credited with interest in the past.

Shades of Alexis

The 22-year-old dynamo netted 17 goals and provided 11 assists as the Belgian giants won the league title by a comfortable 16 points, with the Dutch international playing a major part.

He has since continued this impressive contribution rate into the new season, where he has delivered four goals and four assists in all competitions, including a ‘Man of the Match’ performance against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.

It’s no wonder he has been dubbed a “phenomenon” by Belgian journalist Peter Vandenbemp in the past, and that was after he netted a hat-trick on debut for his former club Ajax.

Lang is primarily a left-sided wide option despite being a right-footed player, which suggests that he’s more a modern type of winger rather than a traditional one that will deliver crosses aplenty.

This could draw plenty of similarities to Sanchez, who was the Gunners’ lethal phenomenon, cutting inside to finish and provide some creativity.

The 22-year-old gem has even played up top, just like the Chilean. whose role regularly converted between being out wide and leading the line. Much the same with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, so Lang could be a nice little fit in Mikel Arteta’s system.

“At the moment, Lang is without a doubt the best player in the league, I think. Pure class,” acclaimed Belgian football pundit Filip Joos explained to Extra Time. “His technique is not normal. Lang is constantly on the move, he glides across the field, he likes to dribble, but he will always play at the right time.”

Arsenal chief Edu Gaspar could well secure the club their next Sanchez with a swoop for the £19.8m-rated Lang this January.

AND in other news, Once valued £45m, now worth 56% less: Gazidis had a nightmare over Arsenal “liability”…

Leeds United will sell star player Kalvin Phillips if an offer in the region of £90m arrives, according to former West Ham striker Frank McAvennie.

The Lowdown: Phillips’ future up the air

The 25-year-old has matured into a fantastic footballer in recent years, becoming a key figure for both the Whites and England – Three Lions legend Alan Shearer called him ‘magnificent’ during the summer.

Phillips’ form has unsurprisingly seen him linked with a move away from Leeds, with Manchester United among those thought to be keen on acquiring his signature.

There are reports he could yet sign a new deal at Elland Road, however, and it remains to be seen where his future lies.

[freshpress-quiz id=“375277″]

The Latest: If the offer comes…

Speaking to Football Insider, McAvennie, 61, claimed that Leeds would accept an offer of £90million for Phillips, should such a big offer arrive:

“If that offer comes in, he’s gone.

“I don’t think there will be any problem with that. Is he worth it?  I don’t know. In today’s game, my mind is blown. I look at some of the players who played when I did.

“What would Gazza be worth? Or Lineker? Oh my god, they must be worth millions and millions.

“If people say he’s worth £90million, he’s worth £90million. Who am I to argue?”

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The Verdict: Accept a monumental fee

While Phillips is undoubtedly an almost irreplaceable figure at Leeds, there comes a point where it is better to allow him to move on, should a ridiculous amount of money be offered.

It may be that the England international feels a fresh challenge is required at some point – playing for a Champions League team could appeal – and the Whites could use the money to make the team even stronger.

Ideally, Phillips will see out his career at Leeds, but it would arguably be a surprise if that happened given the immense quality he has shown at the highest level, and if the Whites bank a massive profit it could be a win win for both player and club.

In other news, Beren Cross has made a claim regarding Leeds United’s January transfer business. Read more here.

Fast bowler Brent Arnel says he is “stoked over the moon” after being awarded a central contract by NZC

Cricinfo staff27-Jun-2009Fast bowler Brent Arnel has said he is “stoked over the moon” after being awarded a central contract by NZC. Arnel, yet to make his debut in international cricket, says representing the Black Caps will be his immediate aim.”I’m the only guy on the [central contracts] list that hasn’t put on a Black Caps jersey,” he said. “That’ll be a goal, because just getting a contract doesn’t guarantee that.”Arnel had a successful 2008-09 season for Northern Districts, where he finished the fifth highest wicket taker in the ODI competition with 17 wickets in 9 matches at an average of 20.76. In the 4-day format, he picked up 13 wickets in 6 matches.The seamer is keen on playing all forms of the game, though he has been more successful in the ODI format. “Hopefully I’m not seen as one-dimensional. I felt like I had a better one-day season than I did a four-day one, and I’d like to work on my Twenty20 bowling as well.”He has been working on his fitness in the off-season in an effort to prevent the recurrence of a troublesome side strain which sidelined him twice last year.

India, the world champions of the Twenty20 format, made an emphatic statement against their fellow finallists from 2007, brushing aside Pakistan by nine wickets at The Oval

George Binoy at The Oval03-Jun-2009The world champions of the Twenty20 format made an emphatic statement against their fellow finalists from 2007, brushing aside Pakistan by nine wickets at The Oval. In an ominous sign for the competition, India were not at their strongest – Virender Sehwag and Zaheer Khan are still carrying shoulder injuries – yet still produced an imperious performance before a raucous south London crowd.Rohit Sharma slotted so seamlessly into the opener’s role that India might be tempted to continue with him at the top even when Sehwag returns to the side. Rohit had success opening against New Zealand as well, smacking 36 off 20 balls, and on Wednseday he managed one better, staying the distance with a match-winning 53-ball 80.Rohit has taken to the role of opener with relish, however the captain, MS Dhoni, remained non-committal as to whether he would be retained at the top of the order when Sehwag makes his return.”Frankly speaking I don’t know [whether Sehwag will bat in the middle],” Dhoni said. “I think it’s always better to have a problem of plenty than having nobody to fill in the space. It’s good to have Rohit Sharma in form. As of now I don’t know what will happen when it comes to the batting order.”Rohit was a key member in Deccan Chargers’ triumphant IPL campaign, and was one of that tournament’s most consistent performers. But unlike in England, where he is being relied upon to lead the Indian innings, Rohit earned the reputation as one of the IPL’s better finishers, coming in at No. 5 for Deccan to accelerate scoring rates and polish off a run-chases. His versatility was on show on Wednesday, displaying both poise and power as he pierced gaps in the infield while seldom risking the airborne route.”We discussed it with him [Rohit] during the practice sessions and he was quite keen,” Dhoni said of the decision to elevate Rohit in the batting order. “When you ask a guy, you always watch for his response, how quick it is and whether he has thought twice about it or not. Rohit was very keen on opening and with Viru [Sehwag] injured, he was the best option available. Rohit always has time, even when he plays quickest bowlers he has got the time and talent. Gary also played a part in the decision.”Rohit’s innings, and Gambhir’s supporting half-century, denied the match of an exciting finish that would have done justice to the feverish atmosphere at The Oval. The ICC wanted everyone to ‘Catch the Spirit’ and it was impossible not to. Celebrations were adrenalin-filled and every ball – be it dot, six or out – was cheered by an emotionally-charged full house, evenly divided in support between the teams. This was more than a warm-up game.The players felt the same way, with India shelving all thoughts of experimentation. Dhoni said the bowlers had attempted a back-of-a-length approach in the previous game but merely tried to stick to basics today. “We were not experimenting,” Dhoni said. “An India-Pakistan game, even though it’s a warm-up, is a tough game to play. We were looking to do the basics, bowl yorkers.”One bowler who wasn’t looking to bowl yorkers was Ishant Sharma, and he turned the game India’s way. Pakistan had raced to 45 after four overs when Ishant came on and completed a rare double-wicket maiden, which included a run-out, to wrestle back the momentum. Ishant bowled the fifth, 14th and 17th overs and finished with 3 for 11. Dhoni said that he was looking to use Ishant during the middle overs, when he could bowl to his strengths.”It’s about how you want to use him. More often than not he has been used with the new ball while the field restrictions are on and later on in the slog,” Dhoni said. “I feel it’s important to use him in the middle overs when batsmen are not really looking to go after the bowlers, so he doesn’t have to bowl those yorkers. He can then bowl to his strengths; he’s the kind of bowler who likes to hit the deck hard.”Twenty20 victory margins are rarely more emphatic than nine wickets and 18 balls to spare and Dhoni said that it would be “tough to replicate the performance”. Perhaps it was fitting, though, for he felt that today’s crowd at The Oval would also be the best the tournament gets.

At the moment, Liverpool are not shy of options for the central-midfield position.

However, we feel that with the likes of James Milner and Jordan Henderson now over the age of 30 and Thiago Alcantara having hit that landmark back in April, they will need to add some young blood into their squad at some point.

What’s the latest?

Earlier last week, football pundit Don Hutchinson said that Liverpool could be one of the Premier League clubs that would be interested in signing Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips in the next summer transfer window from the Yorkshire club.

He said: “Everything about him told me that he’s not going to be at Leeds for much longer. There is going to be Liverpool and Man United, all the big clubs are going to want him in the summer.”

Should Liverpool make a move for Phillips?

As a product of Leeds’ youth academy, Phillips made his senior debut for the Whites back in April 2015 in a 4-3 defeat against Wolves in the Championship.

Since then, the midfielder, who was labelled as “magnificent” by BBC pundit Alan Shearer as a result of his work alongside West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice during England’s Euro 2020 campaign over the summer, has made a total of 219 appearances for Leeds across all competitions.

During that time, he has managed to score 14 goals and provide 12 assists along the way.

Looking ahead to a possible summer transfer move for Phillips from Liverpool, we feel that even if the Reds were interested in signing the player, it could prove to be quite costly for the Merseyside club, especially with the midfielder apparently keen to sign a new and improved deal at Leeds even though his current contract isn’t set to expire until 2024. Transfermarkt currently values him at £36m, after all.

Also, with Henderson himself having recently put pen to paper on a new four-year deal that will see him stay at the club until 2025, it could be argued that the Reds still has some time before they consider bringing in a potential new midfield player to replace him.

That being said, the two England internationals are vastly similar. They have both completed just north of 85% of their passes and they are both strong in the tackle. Phillips won 2.3 tackles per game last term for instance while Henderson won 2.1 when Liverpool won the league in 2019/20.

In our view, for the time being, it feels as though Liverpool will be set to continue with the plethora of midfield options they currently have at their disposal. However, with the summer transfer window still months away, anything could change between now and then that could make signing a new midfielder such as Phillips a priority for the Merseyside club.

In other news: £7.5k-p/w Liverpool gem has seen his value soar by £25.2m in 2 years, he’s exceptional – opinion

Tasmania have gained three imports from New South Wales and axed three semi-regular members of their side

Cricinfo staff30-Jun-2009Tasmania have gained three imports from New South Wales and axed three semi-regular members of their side for the 2009-10 season. The Tigers have confirmed their list of contracted players, which does not feature Dane Anderson, Mark Divin or David Dawson, all of whom had deals last summer.Their major signing was the New South Wales opener Ed Cowan, who has 25 first-class games to his name but found himself on the fringes of the Blues outfit last year. Cowan has been joined in heading south by two fellow New South Wales grade cricketers, the fast bowler Adam Maher and the bowling allrounder Matthew Day.Day is one of two new faces on the rookie list, along with the wicketkeeper Tom Triffitt, who played for the Australia Under-19s this year. Jonathan Wells and James Faulkner, both of whom made their Sheffield Shield debuts last summer, have been upgraded from the rookie list to senior deals.The Tigers have lost the fast bowler Chris Duval to his home state of South Australia and couldn’t find room for Anderson, Divin or Dawson. The squad will be captained next season by George Bailey after Daniel Marsh’s decision to step down, although Marsh remains in the squad.Tasmania squad George Bailey (capt), Tim Paine, Travis Birt, Luke Butterworth, Ed Cowan, Gerard Denton, Michael Dighton, Xavier Doherty, Alex Doolan, Brendan Drew, James Faulkner, Brett Geeves, Adam Griffith, Ben Hilfenhaus (Cricket Australia contract), Jason Krejza, Rhett Lockyear, Tim Macdonald, Adam Maher, Daniel Marsh, Ricky Ponting (CA), Jonathan Wells.Rookies Matthew Day, Wade Irvine, Brady Jones, John Rogers, Jeremy Smith, Tom Triffitt.