All posts by h716a5.icu

Questions have been asked of whether Erling Haaland will honour his contract at Manchester City, with it pointed out that “10 years is a long time”.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Norwegian tied to deal through to 2034Could break countless records in that timeLa Liga transfer talk seemingly never far awayFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Premier League champions City have moved to tie their prolific Norwegian striker down to a deal that is due to run until the summer of 2034. Haaland is considered to be a key part of present and future plans at the Etihad Stadium.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

It is easy to see why City would want such terms in place, with the 24-year-old frontman hitting 118 goals through 136 appearances. Haaland has collected major honours at home and abroad, but has also generated plenty of transfer talk when it comes to supposed interest from Real Madrid and Barcelona.

WHAT RICHARD DUNNE SAID

Quizzed on whether Haaland will see out a decade-long deal in Manchester, former City captain Richard Dunne – speaking in association with – told GOAL: “It’s unheard of, a contract that length. It’s exceptional that he’s got something like that.

“I suppose the couple of seasons that he’s had have proven what he can do. It’s a case of can he do it for that length of time? I’m sure he can, but things change an awful lot in football and 10 years is a very long time.

“If he’s still there, brilliant. At the moment he’s the No.1 striker in world football. If City can keep him, that’s amazing. But also for the Premier League, to have him for that amount of time. Whether he actually goes and sees that deal out remains to be seen.”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty/GOALDID YOU KNOW?

If Haaland were to hang around at City, then he will likely rewrite the history books. Pressed on the possibility of every record being broken if 10 more years are spent at the Etihad, Dunne added: “You would imagine. On paper, yeah. Given what he’s done so far, yes. But, he still has to score nearly 30 goals every season. It’s still a huge ask and an incredible achievement what he’s doing at the moment.

“It looks like he’s the one that would break [Alan] Shearer’s record and set records that would never be beaten again. To keep that consistency over a period of time isn’t the easiest. We have seen it this season, where he has probably not got the goals that he expected. Man City haven’t had the season that they would’ve expected.

“It will happen over the course of the next 10 years and might not happen again. It’s hard but any man playing football at the moment that you thought had a chance of breaking all the records, he is certainly the one. Given the amount of time that he is hopefully going to be there, he’s got a real opportunity to do it.”

Sunderland are yet to taste defeat in the Championship across December, with Black Cats fans hopeful of even more festive cheer after Christmas when Regis Le Bris’ men travel to Blackburn Rovers on Boxing Day.

Recent wins against Swansea City and Norwich City has shown a battling side to the Wearside outfit, with Sunderland having to fight back to pick up both of those victories after the opposition had initially opened the scoring.

Jobe Bellingham scored in both of those dramatic contests mentioned, as the 19-year-old continues to star for the promotion chasers ahead of a January transfer window that will see him be linked incessantly with a move away from the Stadium of Light.

Sunderland's best youngsters

Bellingham will be content with just letting his football do the talking for the time being away from any wild transfer rumours beginning to circulate, having now scored four times this season in the Championship on top of picking up a further three assists.

The on-fire Sunderland number 7 is simply becoming a man for the big occasion, so he will be crucial for his side’s ongoing promotion chances, with an ice-cold finish last time out securing his team a slim 2-1 win over the Canaries.

Away from Bellingham, other youngsters are excelling under the tutelage of Le Bris too, including Chris Rigg who has three strikes to shout about himself in league action.

He actually set up Bellingham’s winner when Sunderland heroically salvaged three points in Wales before Norwich came to town, with Rigg no doubt also being a wanted man this January.

Le Bris will know there’s plenty more top young talent across the Sunderland ranks, away from just these two glowing examples, with this academy product potentially gearing up for more senior opportunities soon after just signing a new extended deal at his boyhood club.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast's In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

Sunderland's next Bellingham

The young player in question here is Harrison Jones, who will hope he can become Sunderland’s next iteration of Bellingham, with the 19-year-old equally as effective in front of goal for the club’s U21s as the Black Cats number seven has been in the Championship.

Even now donning the captain’s armband while playing in his age bracket, Jones will believe he’s more than ready for the step-up to the men’s team, based on his terrific numbers to date playing youth football.

24/25

8

1

4

23/24

23

7

1

21/22

16

1

6

This season, he has accumulated a mightily impressive five goal contributions from just eight league clashes, actually surpassing Rigg’s own tally by one, even as he plays week in week out in the senior fold.

Of course, it remains to be seen whether Jones can hack it at the same level Rigg is now well adjusted to, but the 19-year-old has already begun to be a face Le Bris has named on the substitutes bench here and there in the hustle and bustle of the second tier.

Indeed, Jones has been among the substitutes a colossal nine times this campaign, with his first-ever senior appearance also coming this season in the EFL Cup.

It wouldn’t be the most out-there shout to suggest that Jones will gain minutes in the main team in the Championship soon, therefore, considering one of his former U21 teammates in Tom Watson had been drafted in to play ten times in Le Bris’ side, before injury disaster struck recently.

With his birthday funnily enough falling on Christmas Day, Le Bris could well hand Jones the ultimate late present by gifting him some precious league minutes against Blackburn, kickstarting yet another notable youngster’s first-team journey as a result.

Le Bris now needs to sell Sunderland dud who earns more than Hume & Rigg

This Sunderland reserve player will be looking for an exit route out of the club in January.

ByKelan Sarson Dec 22, 2024

Everything you need to know about Lorenzo insigne's salary at Toronto FC

Italy's Lorenzo Insigne is often hailed as one of the best attackers to have played at Napoli, but after spending over a decade with his boyhood club, the winger finally decided to embark on a new venture as he joined MLS side Toronto FC.

Given his experience in both Serie A and the Italian national team, Insigne became one of the highest-paid players in the team, but exactly how much does the Italian maestro earn playing in Toronto?

GOAL delved into the numbers with the MLS salary guide and found out!

*

Lorenzo Insigne's wages at Toronto FC in numbers

Insigne earns$296,153 (£228,042) per week under the terms of his current contract at Toronto.

His annual salary scales up to $15.4 million (£11.8m), making him the top earner at the club by quite some distance, while he is also one of the top earners across the league.

Player

Nationality

Weekly wages in USD

Weekly wages in GBP

Annual wages in USD

Annual wages in GBP

Lorenzo Insigne

Italian

 $296,153

£228,042

$15,400,000

£11,858,194

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTop earners at Toronto FC

Lorenzo Insigne sits comfortably at the top of Toronto's wage bill, earning more than double that of second-placed Federico Bernardeschi, another former Serie A midfielder who played for Juventus.

Following the former Serie A stars are Canadian internationals Richie Laryea and Jonathan Osorio, occupying the third and fourth spots, respectively.

Meanwhile, rounding off the top five at number five is Norwegian center-back Sigurd Rosted.

Player

Nationality

Weekly wages in USD

Weekly wages in GBP

Annual wages in USD

Annual wages in GBP

Lorenzo Insigne

Italian

$296,153

£228,042

$15,400,000

£11,858,194

Federico Bernardeschi

Italian

$121,065

£93,221

$6,295,381

£4,847,522

Richie Laryea

Canadian

$25,566

£19,686

$1,329,438

£1,023,684

Jonathan Osorio

Canadian

$16,084

£12,384

$836,369

£644,014

Sigurd Rosted

Norwegian

$14,519

£11,179

$755,000

£581,359

Top 5 earners in MLS

Currently, former Barcelona icon Lionel Messi leads the charts in terms of salary in MLS.

Meanwhile, Insigne follows in second place, followed by another former Barcelona star in Sergio Busquets.

Federico Bernardeschi and Emil Forsberg round off the list in fourth and fifth positions, respectively.

Player

Club

Weekly wages in USD

Weekly wages in GBP

Annual wages in USD

Annual wages in GBP

Lionel Messi

Inter Miami

$393,205

£302,772

$20,446,667

£15,744,191

Lorenzo Insigne

Toronto FC

$296,153

£228,042

$15,400,000

£11,858,194

Sergio Busquets

Inter Miami

$168,749

£129,938

$8,774,996

£6,756,857

Federico Bernardeschi

Toronto FC

$121,065

£93,221

$6,295,381

£4,847,522

Emil Forsberg

New York Red Bulls

$116,070

£89,540

$6,035,625

£4,660,000

Getty Images SportHighest paid players in the world

Although MLS players earn substantial wages, their salaries appear modest compared to the world's top earners, with no MLS stars making the top-five list globally.

At the top is the ageless Cristiano Ronaldo, who plays for Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr. In second place is Al Ittihad's Karim Benzema, while Riyad Mahrez of Al Ahli secures the third spot.

Meanwhile, Senegalese internationals Sadio Mane and Kalidou Koulibaly round off the list at third and fourth position, respectively.

Player

Club

Weekly wages USD

Weekly wages GBP

Annual wages USD

Annual wages GBP

Cristiano Ronaldo

Al Nassr

$4,166,513

£3,224,935

$215,658,680

£167,696,622

Karim Benzema

Al Ittihad

$2,083,257

£1,612,468

$108,329,340

£83,848,311

Riyad Mahrez

Al Ahli

$1,087,460

£841,708

$56,547,915

£43,768,818

Sadio Mane

Al Nassr

$833,033

£644,987

$43,331,736

£33,539,324

Kalidou Koulibaly

Al Hilal

$722,890

£559,526

$37,590,281

£29,095,364

Draw remains the favourite after hosts lose last six wickets for 65

Paul Edwards07-May-2022
A four-day match in which 10 wickets fall in the first five sessions cannot easily accommodate the loss of the sixth; not, at any rate, if a draw is to be avoided. So the easy consensus as the rain fell on Emirates Old Trafford on Friday was that this game was heading for honours even and genial handshakes on Sunday evening unless Lancashire could somehow establish a sizeable first-innings lead and embarrass Warwickshire on the final afternoon.Twenty-four hours later the irony is that a draw still appears the most likely outcome but any complacent assumptions about the shape of this game have been demolished. That task was accomplished first by Olly Hannon-Dalby’s fine spell with the new ball and then, perhaps even more conclusively by the eight overs either side of tea in which Nathan McAndrew bent his back, extracted life from this sleepy Manchester pitch and took four wickets for 24 runs, thereby ensuring that Lancashire’s lead was kept to a modest 46, an advantage that Warwickshire’s openers had trimmed to 42 before bad light sliced another 12 overs off our day.McAndrew’s accuracy and aggression were all the more impressive and yes, surprising given that at Taunton he had bowled 25 overs for 100 runs and had looked the least-effective member of Will Rhodes’ attack. But any bowler, particularly one who has bowled mainly on antipodean pitches, will take time adjusting to English wickets. McAndrew’s spell here suggested Division One batters will have to be alert this summer if they are to cope with his disciplined aggression.Admittedly, much of the tough work had already been done by the new-ball bowlers when McAndrew took his first wicket and even that was presented to him by Phil Salt, who drove a good-length ball straight to Rhodes at mid-off. That left Lancashire on 324 for 5 at tea, a position they owed almost entirely to their centurion, Keaton Jennings, and his fellow opener, Luke Wells, who contributed 80.On the resumption McAndrew produced a quite foul lifter which George Balderson could only glove to Sam Hain at slip. Two overs later he tempted Dane Vilas into a cut and Michael Burgess took a low catch behind the stumps. Hasan Ali then nicked off to Rob Yates at slip to complete a four-wicket haul that had demolished any Lancastrian notions that they might “bat past” their opponents so convincingly that the final day would leave Warwickshire with nothing to do except scrap for a grisly draw. Tom Bailey and Matt Parkinson put on 26 for the last wicket but a lead of 46 was thin, indeed, when set beside the advantage Vilas was hoping for when the scoreboard read 116 without loss or 241 for 1. This was Warwickshire’s day.It would be easy but fanciful to say the mid-morning dismissal of Wells had offered us a portent of the change that was to occur. To judge from his reaction it would not be surprising if the opener was still complaining about it at tea. Wells had made 70 when he appeared to drive the ball firmly into the ground on its way back to Danny Briggs. However, the bowler took the two-handed catch with little fuss and was immediately congratulated by his colleagues. To Wells’ plain bemusement, the umpires’ consultation ended with the appeal being upheld and the batter began what is becoming a trademark very slow walk back to the dressing-room. In fairness to Graham Lloyd and Nigel Llong, we should add that Jennings said later that he would also have given it out.Plainly unflustered by Wells’ dismissal, Jennings helped Josh Bohannon take Lancashire to lunch and by then the Lancashire opener was almost toying with the Warwickshire spinners. For whether orthodox, fine or reverse, Jennings has more sweeps in his repertoire than you might find in even the most ambitious production of . He made good use of them in getting to the nineties but was four short of a century at the first interval.Ten balls after lunch Jennings reached his century with a sweetly-driven persuasion to the cover boundary off Briggs. Someone pointed out that this was his first hundred since his 127 in last July’s Roses match but the impact of that revelation was immediately softened when someone else observed that this is Jennings’s first innings since that game. A torn left calf ended his cricket in 2021 and a less serious injury to his right calf prevented him appearing in Lancashire’s first three matches this season.These musings on injury and coincidence had to be brought to an end fairly rapidly, for the next half-hour of the game was dominated by Warwickshire’s new-ball bowlers and slip fielders. The excellent Hannon-Dalby deserves credit for the fine ball that saw the end of Bohannon, who was pouched by Rob Yates, and Craig Miles then punished Steven Croft’s fatally inquisitive prod by having him well taken by Chris Benjamin in the nether region between fifth slip and gully. A poor stroke by Jennings to a ball pushed across him by Hannon-Dalby allowed second slip Hain to join the party but since the opener had made 110 in his typically understated style, one doubts anyone in the home dressing-room was boning up on the riot act.At that point McAndrew was brought on from the James Anderson End and the rest of the day belonged to Warwickshire in general and the New South Welshman in particular. But two other visiting cricketers can be pleased with themselves this evening: Hannon-Dalby’s removal of Parkinson gave him figures of 3 for 33 from 24.3 overs and Alex Davies’ cut for four off Bailey removed the possibility of him getting a pair on his return to Old Trafford. A tiny victory, perhaps, but you can bet Davies will sleep a trifle easier tonight.

Birmingham City minority owner Tom Brady has been backed by Tim Sherwood to oversee back-to-back promotions for the club.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Birmingham in pole position for promotionNeed just eight more points to seal Championship berthSherwood believes PL return is just a matter of timeFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Following their relegation from the second tier last season, the Blues have responded in impressive fashion, putting themselves in a commanding position to secure automatic promotion. Their latest 2-1 win against Bristol City on Tuesday night was a significant step forward, especially as their main League One promotion rivals Wrexham and Wycombe dropped points. Now, Birmingham need only eight more points from their final eight fixtures to guarantee their return to the Championship.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The turnaround in Birmingham’s fortunes has been largely fueled by heavy investment in the squad following their relegation. Despite dropping down to the third tier, the club’s financial backing has remained strong, with investors like NFL legend Brady allowing them to build a squad capable of dominating League One. Their impressive record this season – only three defeats in 36 matches – further highlights their dominance and consistency in the division.

WHAT SHERWOOD SAID

Former Aston Villa and Tottenham manager Tim Sherwood believes Birmingham City are well-positioned to repeat the recent success of Ipswich Town, who climbed from League One to the Premier League in two seasons under Kieran McKenna. Speaking to Sherwood also predicted more high-profile signings at the club this summer, saying: "Birmingham City have the finances to secure back-to-back promotions. They have the finances and they'll be able to spend the money because of the cash they generate and the huge fanbase.

"Our pyramid in England is just unbelievably hard to predict. But they recruit well enough. They've got Championship players in their team at the moment so they won’t have to do wholesale changes. I think if they can bring four or five in, and they probably can because it's a big club with a huge fan base, they can really attract some top players at that level. Then, why not? I think they can get promoted back to back."

DID YOU KNOW?

Sherwood also praised current Birmingham head coach Chris Davies for his role in keeping the club on track for an immediate return to the Championship.

"Davies has done a very good job, but that was the job everyone wanted at the beginning of the season," he said. "If you ever want a job where a team looks absolutely 100% nailed on to get promoted, it would’ve been Birmingham City at the beginning of the season. But that becomes a huge job for the manager who actually goes in there because he's added pressure to have to achieve it."

Wolves are now on the verge of reaching an agreement to sign a new defender for Vitor Pereira in what will be his first signing in charge of the Old Gold, with an agreement having already been reached in the first week of the January transfer window.

Wolves need defensive additions

Since the beginning of the Premier League season, only two sides have conceded more goals than Wolves. The Old Gold have shipped 42 goals in just 19 games, at a rate of 2.21 per game, though they have conceded just twice in the three games since the arrival of Pereira to take over from Gary O’Neil.

Club

Goals conceded

Goals conceded per game

Southampton

44

2.2

Leicester City

44

2.2

Wolves

42

2.21

West Ham

39

1.95

Brentford

35

1.75

Central to that problem has been defensive issues, with the club failing to adequately replace Max Kilman following his £45m move to West Ham United, signing teenager Bastien Meupiyou who is still yet to make his debut for the club.

It has meant that both O’Neil and Pereira have had to field experimental defences whether in a back four or a back three, with Matt Doherty the latest makeshift centre-back after a stint from Mario Lemina.

Now though, injury to Toti, who could miss up to a month, has forced Wolves into the transfer market in a bid to try and rectify their defensive concerns as they look to add to their ranks in a bid to avoid relegation from the top flight.

To that end, they are set to make significant progress.

Wolves reach agreement to sign £16m defender

That comes as various reports claim that Wolves have now reached an agreement to sign Stade Reims centre-back Emmanuel Agbadou in a deal worth a reported €20m (£16.6m).

Standing at 6ft 3 inches tall, the 27-year-old has been a key part of Reims’ defence this season, helping them concede just 21 goals in 16 games and placing them firmly midtable.

An Ivory Coast international, he is already in the prime of his career and could slot straight into Pereira’s side, though he is more accustomed to playing in a back four than a back three.

As per a report from Foot Mercato journalist Santi Aouna, Wolves have reached an agreement to pay “around €20m”, and will also pay the centre-back around £50,000 a week in wages.

Wolves can finally replace Kilman by signing superb CB with PL experience

Wolves interested in “superb” star who can finally be their Kilman replacement

ByConnor Holden Jan 4, 2025

For that outlay, Wolves will be getting an “exceptional long ball player” with “great interception skills” according to scouting site Concept Scouting on X, while he also manages over three tackles and interceptions per game this season.

The deal appeared to be confirmed by the Reims President, who told reporters that “The two clubs have reached agreement. Same thing for the player. All he has to do is pass his medical and sign his contract. Wolverhampton’s offer couldn’t be refused.”

Though he will be unable to face Nottingham Forest on Monday night, it is entirely possible that Agbadou could be registered in time to play a part in Wolves’ following game, when they take on Bristol City in the FA Cup.

Weighty opening stand between Lewis and Paul paves way for rare Irish success

Firdose Moonda03-Jun-2022Ireland, led by the youngest captain in their history, Gaby Lewis, beat South Africa for only the second time in 11 T20I meetings to stun the fifth-ranked side and take a lead in the three-match series. Ireland are ranked 12th in T20s and their only previous victory over South Africa came in August 2016.Five South Africa and three Ireland players from that match were involved in this one, including Lewis. Together with Leah Paul, she broke her own record for Ireland’s highest opening partnership against South Africa, set Ireland up for a famous win and claimed a slice of history herself. Lewis is the first daughter of a former Ireland captain to lead the national side, after her father Alan Lewis captained the men’s team.Starting strong
Lewis and Paul took advantage of a lacklustre South African effort in the first half of their innings and raced to 83 without loss in the first 10 overs. In doing so, they also posted the highest first-wicket partnership for Ireland against South Africa, beating the 78 shared between Lewis and Clare Shillington in Ireland’s previous 2016 victory. None of the six bowlers South Africa used up to that point threatened at all, as they struggled to adjust to the slow pace of the pitch. They offered many deliveries that were too short and both Lewis and Paul were strong on the pull in response. The pair went on to share in a stand of 98, 16 short of Ireland’s highest opening stand against any team.South Africa claw back
None of South Africa’s bowlers could remove Lewis, who notched up her sixth T20I half-century, but some commitment in the field did. She was run-out at the non-striker’s end to bring an authoritative knock to a close. But it was only in the next over, when Shabnim Ismail was brought back on and used the slower ball to have Paul caught at mid-on, that South Africa were able to properly apply the brakes.Ireland were 107 for 2 after 14 overs and could only manage 36 runs off the next six overs, while also losing five wickets. Tumi Sekhukhune, whose first three overs cost 27 runs, came back well to take three wickets in her final over and ensure no one outside Ireland’s top four got into double-figures. Still, Ireland achieved their highest total against South Africa in T20Is, three runs more than their previous highest of 140 for 4 in a losing cause in 2016. Ireland strike immediately
South Africa opted to experiment with a new opening pair – Lara Goodall and Tazmin Brits – and it backfired. Offspinner Rachel Delaney was asked to open the bowling against the left-handed Goodall and had her caught behind off the first ball of South Africa’s reply, in the course of delivering a maiden first over.And then get the big wicket
South Africa held Laura Wolvaardt back to No. 4 and she provided some stability, but her attempt to add impetus to the innings in the ninth over failed. She tried to cut Cara Murray but Celeste Raack took a good catch, low at backward point, to send the Ireland players into wild celebrations.Cat-and-mouse to the end
With 48 runs needed off the last five overs, Chloe Tryon had the ideal opportunity to show off her finishing skills. She took 15 runs off the 16th over, bowled by Murray, including a casual-as-you-like six over midwicket to ease the pressure on her captain Sune Luus. But Lewis had a trump card up her sleeve. She tasked Paul, whose first two overs went for 16 runs, with bowling the 18th over. Tryon was well outside her crease when she went for a slog, missed and was bowled. Luus was South Africa’s last real chance but she was bowled by debutant Arlene Kelly in the penultimate over. South Africa needed 18 runs to win off the last over and neither Nadine de Klerk nor Ismail could get them there.

Manchester City are now set to submit a £34m offer for a defender, according to journalist Andre Hernan.

Man City keen on multiple January signings

Pep Guardiola is tasked with rebuilding the Man City defence, with it recently being revealed that captain Kyle Walker wants to leave the club, having been left out of the squad for the 8-0 demolition of Salford City.

The Sky Blues are particularly keen on a new centre-back, having a £33.5m bid accepted for Lens’ Abdukodir Khusanov, and the deal is now nearing completion.

Guardiola is keen to make multiple additions this month, with progress being made for Frankfurt forward Omar Marmoush, whereas Palmeiras’ defensive gem Vitor Reis is another key target.

After Marmoush: Man City chase £70m ace who's "very similar to Bellingham"

After Omar Marmoush, Manchester City are looking to further raid Eintracht Frankfurt for a highly-rated midfielder compared to Jude Bellingham.

ByBen Gray Jan 10, 2025

City’s opening bid for Reis was knocked back by the Brazilian club, but they remain undeterred, with journalist Ben Jacobs revealing they are optimistic about being able to get a deal over the line.

As such, Man City have taken immediate action to try and get a deal done, with journalist Andre Hernan taking to X to provide an update on the transfer pursuit, saying: “I heard from a negotiation source who says this was just a first offer and that it will increase in the coming days.”

The journalist states the Sky Blues’ initial offer for the defender was considered too low, but they are willing to make an offer of €40m (£34m) to get a deal over the line. Palmeiras are said to be in “no rush” to finalise the move, indicating that a deal may not be possible until later in the January transfer window.

Reis could be a long-term success at Man City

The 19-year-old is already making a name for himself in his home country, having made 18 appearances in the Brazilian Serie A this season, and his defensive talents have been on show for all to see.

Over the past year, the Brazilian has averaged 1.87 tackles per 90, placing him in the 81st percentile compared to his positional peers, while an average of 3.08 aerials won per 90 ranks him in the 82nd percentile.

Of course, given that he is still a teenager, it may take time for Reis to get to a level where he’s capable of being a consistent starter for Guardiola’s side, but there are signs that he could soon be ready to make the step-up.

Members of the Brazilian media have lauded the starlet as a “monster”, while journalist Bence Bocsak has hailed him for his passing ability, which could make him a perfect fit in a Guardiola system.

£34m is a lot to spend on a teenager, but Reis is showing signs he could be capable of going right to the very top.

India will keep a close eye on the bowling workload of Hardik Pandya, who is set to play his first ODI in nearly a year

Ashish Pant11-Jul-20223:14

Giles: ‘Teams need to start thinking about the 50-over World Cup’

Big pictureIf the three T20Is were any indication, the ODI series promises to be a thrill-a-minute ride. England have built a reputation of going hard from the get-go in both white-ball formats, and India, who have traditionally been known to build their innings methodically before going big in the death overs, also took the all-out aggressive route in the T20I series. Whether or not they continue with this approach in the ODIs remains to be seen, but conditions should assist quick run-getting, with surfaces at The Oval usually among the flatter ones in England.Both sides head into the series on the back of excellent ODI track records. England have lost just one of their last 10 ODIs and are fresh from amassing the highest ODI total in history against Netherlands. India, meanwhile, have won six of their last 10 games in the format, which includes a 3-0 sweep of West Indies at home earlier this year.The last time India came to The Oval, they took a 2-1 lead in the Test series last year with Rohit Sharma scoring 127 in the second innings. Rohit will hope to create more happy memories here, as will his likely opening partner Shikhar Dhawan, who in five ODIs at this venue has scored 443 runs at an average of 110.75, with three centuries and a fifty. In a squad that is otherwise full of young up-and-comers who have also been in and around the T20 set-up, Dhawan is an established name who remains an important cog in India’s 50-overs plans.Jos Buttler’s T20I captaincy debut did not quite go as planned, but with Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root back, England’s batting line-up will be at full strength in the ODIs. But the bowling looks a little thin, particularly in the spin department. Matt Parkinson wasn’t at his best in the T20I series, nor was Moeen Ali, and Livingstone’s mix of offspin and legspin was carted for 74 runs in his five overs across the three games. If the ongoing heatwave in the UK causes the pitches to dry out, spin could play a significant role in the series – as could cutters and changes of pace from the quicker bowlers.Form guide England WWWWW (last five completed ODIs, most recent first)
India WWWLLIn the spotlight Hardik Pandya last played an ODI nearly a year ago, and India will keep a close eye on how he manages his workload in the format. Injuries had minimised his bowling output for a significant length of time, but he seems to have turned a corner in the last few months, bowling regularly both in the IPL and in his T20I appearances. Most recently, he played a crucial role in the first T20I against England, taking four wickets and scoring a 33-ball 51. But while he’s shown he can pull of his dual role with aplomb in T20 cricket, can he consistently bowl a full 10-over quota in ODIs?With scores of 0, 4 and 18, Jos Buttler had a T20I series to forget. But the England captain is coming off a superb run in the ODI series against Netherlands, where he made 162* in 70 balls and 86* off 64 balls in his two innings. The moving ball troubled him considerably during the T20I series, but it’s unlikely to be a factor when he resumes his middle-order role in the ODIs.Jos Buttler struggled during the T20Is, but he was in terrific form during England’s most recent ODI series against Netherlands•Getty ImagesTeam News Suryakumar Yadav’s sensational century in the third T20I could get him the nod over Shreyas Iyer, if India opt for four frontline bowlers and two allrounders. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami are likely to lead the pace unit, with a toss-up between Prasidh Krishna and Mohammed Siraj for the third seamer’s role. The former is likely to get the nod after a breakthrough series against the West Indies earlier this year. Yuzvendra Chahal will, in all probability, be the lone specialist spinner, with either Axar Patel or Ravindra Jadeja taking the spin-bowling allrounder’s mantle.India had an optional net session on the eve of the game, with only Ishan Kishan and Shikhar Dhawan as the specialist batters. Kishan had a long net session. Shardul Thakur, Siraj and Shami were the bowlers in attendance.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Suryakumar Yadav, 5 Rishabh Pant (wk), 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Axar Patel/Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Mohammed Shami, 9 Jasprit Bumrah, 10 Prasidh Krishna, 11 Yuzvendra Chahal.England’s batting is set to be at full strength with Bairstow, Root and Stokes back in the white-ball mix. The composition of the seam attack will be an interesting question, with three left-arm quicks in contention in Sam Curran, David Willey and Reece Topley, with Brydon Carse’s extra pace also in the mix.England (probable): 1 Jason Roy, 2 Jonny Bairstow, 3 Joe Root, 4 Ben Stokes, 5 Jos Buttler (capt & wk), 6 Liam Livingstone, 7 Moeen Ali, 8 Sam Curran, 9 David Willey, 10 Brydon Carse/Reece Topley, 11 Matt Parkinson.Pitch and conditions There was a greenish tinge to the surface at The Oval on the eve of the match, but that might not translate to a lot of help for the seamers given the heatwave that’s going around. The temperature is expected to touch the 30-degree mark on the Celsius scale, but batting – and running between the wickets – might become easier later in the evening, under lights. There could be some assistance for the spinners too.Stats and Trivia David Willey and Sam Curran shared nine wickets in the last ODI played at The Oval, against Sri Lanka last year. Joe Root has the most runs at the Oval among active cricketers. He has scored 548 runs in 10 innings here, at an average of 68.50 with five fifties and a ton. Rohit Sharma has seven centuries in 24 ODI innings in England, the most by any visiting batter. He has scored 1335 runs at an average of 66.75 in the country.

Crystal Palace's game with rivals Brighton descended into chaos as three men were sent off, including substitute Eddie Nketiah in a 10-minute cameo.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Crystal Palace beat Brighton 2-1Three red cards in fiery clashSub Nketiah dismissed after 10 minutesFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

During Palace's 2-1 win over Brighton at Selhurst Park on Saturday, Nketiah and Marc Guehi were sent off late on for the hosts and Jan Paul van Hecke received a red card in stoppage time. Former Arsenal striker Nketiah only came on 22 minutes from time but received his marching orders for a second booking a mere 10 minutes later.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

While both sides will be concerned about losing important players for the next game, Palace rose to 11th in the Premier League and closed to within just four points of their bitter rivals.

AFPDID YOU KNOW?

Jean-Philippe Mateta opened the scoring for Palace in the third minute, only for Danny Welbeck to equalise for Brighton just after the half-hour mark. Daniel Munoz restored the home team's advantage 10 minutes after the interval and the Eagles held on for a crucial three points.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

WHAT NEXT FOR PALACE & BRIGHTON?

Palace are next in Premier League action away at Manchester City next Saturday, whereas Brighton host lowly Leicester City on the same day.