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In quite the twist, Leicester City are now reportedly working on a deal to hijack Crystal Palace's move to sign a new winger for Steve Cooper's side, one who knows all about the Premier League.

Leicester transfer news

The Foxes are enduring a busy end to the transfer window just as the opening day of the new Premier League season approaches in just one week, with the arrival of Facundo Buonanotte reportedly imminent. The Brighton & Hove Albion man will reportedly join on a season-long loan deal to hand Cooper his fifth signing of the summer.

Those at the King Power seem unlikely to end on five arrivals too, following links to the likes of Fabio Carvalho. The Liverpool attacking midfielder has impressed in pre-season, attracting plenty of interest, and could yet choose to complete a permanent move in pursuit of game time at Leicester. It's there he could be joined by a player who England's top-flight already know all about.

According to David Ornstein and Adam Leventhal of The Athletic, Leicester are now working on a deal to sign Wilfried Zaha from Galatasaray with talks ongoing. In some twist, the Foxes could secure the winger's signature ahead of former club Crystal Palace, who have seen their deal to re-sign their ex-star collapse, as per Fabrizio Romano.

Leicester make enquiry to sign "decisive" winger who's been told he can leave

He’s been shown the door at a top six club…

ByTom Cunningham Aug 10, 2024

Zaha would undoubtedly be the standout arrival at Leicester this summer and the marquee signing that could ensure their survival. The former Palace man knows all about relegation scraps and dragging sides to safety; it's how he spent the majority of his time at Selhurst Park. Now, it may well be Leicester who benefit.

"Excellent" Zaha would be an impressive coup

Zaha should tick every box on Leicester's criteria for new signings. He has more than enough Premier League experience and has the quality to make an instant impact on Cooper's side. Throughout his last spell in English football, which only ended last summer, Zaha earned plenty of praise from former boss Roy Hodgson.

The veteran manager told reporters via Football365 after his star man found the back of the net in 2020 win over Fulham: “He’s an excellent player and that’s what he’s capable of doing.

"If ever I sound mildly critical he thinks I’m picking on him, but every press conference I go to he’s the only player they want to talk to me about! He deserves all the praise he’s going to get. He reminds us that when he’s on top of his game he’s a very hard player to stop.”

The idea of Jamie Vardy's potential last dance with the Premier League ending with Zaha alongside him in Leicester's frontline is certainly a mouth-watering prospect, to say the least. But with a matter of weeks left until the summer transfer window slams shut, the Foxes must move quickly this month.

What have you done for me lately? As attention turns to 2025, GOAL looks at where all 29 MLS teams need to go from here

The offseason is officially here: The LA Galaxy are your 2024 MLS Cup Champions, putting a bow on a stupendous season in thrilling fashion with a 2-1 win over New York Red Bulls at Dignity Health Sports Park Saturday in front of a sold-out crowd.

Of course, the old adage in sports applies: What have you done for me lately? Now attention turns to preparation for 2025 – and teams are locking in. Whether that's addressing coaching and front office vacancies, or communicating with scouts about transfer business in the winter window, it's eyes forward.

Some clubs, such as Lionel Messi's Inter Miami and Wilfried Nancy's Columbus Crew, had excellent regular seasons – and their rosters are practically ready to compete in 2025, minus a few moves. Others, such as the San Jose Earthquakes and Chicago Fire, need to completely re-evaluate their team to compete in 2025. And then there's squads such as the Vancouver Whitecaps, Real Salt Lake and Charlotte FC – all of whom made the postseason, but crashed out in the first round.

How do they take the next step? GOAL looks at where all 29 MLS teams need to go from here.

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29San Jose Earthquakes

What went right: Very little. The biggest moment of 2024 for the Earthquakes was the announcement that Bruce Arena would be taking over for the start of 2025. MLS' most winningest coach, the 73-year-old has exactly what it takes to return them to the top.

What went wrong: The list is too long, but to put it in simple terms, their roster was not good enough to compete in 2025. Jeremy Ebobisse was given no help in the attack, their midfield could not retain possession and their defense leaked goals.

Biggest offseason need: They need to hand Arena the keys to their roster, and let him work his magic. They have an open DP slot, and multiple U-22 initiative slots, so there is room for their team to grow. In terms of places where they can improve, it's everywhere. They need to bolster their defense, midfield and attack — with their lone spot for 2025 not up for grabs being goalkeeper.

Advertisement28Chicago Fire

What went right: They smashed their transfer record early in the campaign, bringing in Hugo Cuypers from Belgium, and he looked the part at times – despite having little to no support in the attack from the Fire. Elsewhere, U.S. youth internationals Chris Brady and Brian Gutierrez earned minutes and were hit with adversity, which is likely good for their development. Under ex-USMNT boss Gregg Berhalter's leadership in 2025, they could take the next step in their careers.

What went wrong: The Fire had little go right. They had a few nice wins, but they finished 28th in the Supporters' Shield standings, scoring just 40 goals while conceding 62. Their attack wasn't good enough, and their defense struggled against possession-based teams who put them under pressure in their own half.

Biggest offseason need: To trust in Berhalter's rebuild, and let him utilize his connections within the league to build a title-contending roster. Replacing Shaqiri will be key, and they'll likely use his DP spot to bring in a top-tier attacker as a result. Another option is buying-down the contract of Gaston Gimenez, so they could potentially bring in two new DPs this winter. Regardless of what they do, though, they ned to give Cuypers some support while shoring up both their midfield and defense. Chicago haven't qualified for the postseason since 2017. This is their biggest offseason to date.

27New England Revolution

What went right: Carles Gil, Luca Langoni and Esmir Bajraktarevic all showed that they care about the club throughout the season, as the only three standout performers, and those they should build on heading in to 2025. Arguably their best moment of 2024 was acquiring promising left back Peyton Miller, though. He looks to be the part and has really impressive attacking instincts.

What went wrong: Caleb Porter's debut season in the northeast was a complete disaster. The two-time MLS Cup winner let the program down, feuding with players and media members to create an unstable environment. However, the club has shown they have trust and faith in him to guide them into 2025. In addition to their touchline woes, the Revs scored just 37 goals and conceded 74. On both ends of the pitch, they need to look hard in the mirror and ask who is an MLS-caliber player.

Biggest offseason need: The Revs need help at right back, center back, defensive midfield and in the attack. Really, they need a roster overhaul. However, the four players discussed along with goalkeeper Aljaz Ivacic are all likely to be members of the starting XI next year. Now, let's see how the Revs and Porter tackle the transfer market this winter.

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26Sporting Kansas City

What went right: SKC generally had a year to forget, underwhelming across the regular season. But they had a terrific US Open Cup run, where they made it to the final. They lost to LAFC, but their performances across the tournament were the highlight of their season.

What went wrong: Sporting’s midfield and attack really let them down in 2024. They conceded 66 goals and lost an astonishing 19 matches. Overall, though, their roster wasn’t built to compete with MLS’ elite – and as a result, there’s an expectation they’ll be active in the transfer market this offseason.

Biggest offseason need: After parting ways with club legend Johnny Russell and goalkeeper Tim Amelia after the end of the season, Sporting are looking to flip the narrative heading into 2025. Their biggest priority should be the No. 10 position. Speaking at year-end availability, GM Mike Burns alluded to it, saying “Without question, our primary focus is a 10. We're looking for a guy that can break down lines in the final third, ideally can score, can set up goals."

MatériaMais Notícias

Os quatro gols do Alético-MG sobre o Fortaleza dividiram espaço na repercussão do jogo com uma confusão causada pelo árbitroBraulio da Silva Machado, que apitou antes da finalização de Guilherme Arana morrer no ângulo de Felipe Alves. No programa ‘Jogo Aberto’ de hoje, Renata Fan e Denílson comentaram sobre a ‘ramelada’ do árbitro e a atuação do Galo.

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– Dá para ouvir perfeitamente o apito. O árbitro nem se liga. Ele que já deveria ter expulsado o Felipe Melo no Palmeiras e Inter e agora apita uma semifinal da Copa do Brasil. Ele já apontando escanteio antes de a bola entrar. Estava no mundo da lua e o Fortaleza pode reclamar desse lance. Mas foi um baile e um 4 a 0 com autoridade. Com esse placar elástico nem dá para reclamar muito – pontuou Renata.

Em tom bem-humorado, Denílsondisse que o juiz realmente ‘ramelou’ na jogada em questão. Além disso, o ex-jogador e comentarista elogiou a performance do Atlético-MG, principalmente pela ‘qualidade do Fortaleza’.

-Uma coisa é a performance contra o Atlético-GO, quando leva a virada. Agora um 4 a 0 jogando bem não há o que questionar.Me surpreendeu este resultado pela qualidade do Fortaleza. Leva o primeiro gol e o segundo depois de seis, sete minutos. Os jogadores devem estar com a cabeça inchada. Não dá para ter os vacilos que o Fortaleza teve em um jogo decisivo como esse – disse Denílson.

O Atlético Mineiro está muito perto da decisão da Copa do Brasil 2021. A equipe do técnico Cuca não tomou conhecimento do Fortaleza, uma das surpresas da temporada, e venceu por 4 a 0 no jogo de ida das semifinais da competição nacional. Guilherme Arana, Réver, Hulk e Zaracho marcaram os gols atleticanos.

Bumrah, Ashwin cleared to play, Natarajan rested, while Axar earns call-up

Nagraj Gollapudi19-Jan-2021

Hardik Pandya has been included in India’s 18-man squad for the first two Tests of the home series against England, starting next month. ESPNcricinfo understands the national selectors, who met today, have also handed a call-up to left-arm spinner Axar Patel to strengthen the spin department.The squad was finalised by the newly assembled Indian selection committee headed by former India fast bowler Chetan Sharma. Attending the meeting virtually was India captain Virat Kohli, who had returned home in December from the Australia tour to attend the birth of his first child. Also present at the meeting, which took place hours after India’s epic triumph in the Gabba Test, were the four other selectors: Sunil Joshi, Abey Kuruvilla, Debashish Mohanty and Harvinder Singh, who is in Brisbane.Apart from Kohli, also making a return was Ishant Sharma.He was forced to miss the Test series in Australia as the selectors wanted him to regain complete match fitness despite him recovering completely by mid-November from the injury he picked up during the IPL. Ishant, who is three matches away from becoming only the second India fast bowler after Kapil Dev to play in 100 Tests, proved his match fitness while turning up for Delhi during the group stage of ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.Along with Ishant, the Indian fast bowling attack will comprise Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Shardul Thakur. Both Siraj and Thakur were part of India’s historic series win against Australia.Pandya picked as specialist batsman Pandya – who lost his father last week – has played 11 Tests, the last one being the final match of the 2018 England tour. In 2019 Pandya underwent back surgery, which limited his role to primarily as a batsman. Even in the 2020 IPL, where he played for defending champions Mumbai Indians, Pandya did not bowl. Apart from a stray spell in the second ODI against Australia, Pandya only played as a specialist batsman in the series.In November, after ending as Player of the Series in the T20 leg of the Australia tour, Pandya, during a media conference, conveyed in jest he would be ready to stay back for the Test series if the selectors would ask him. However, Kohli said Pandya would need to start bowling to make a Test comeback.However, at Tuesday’s meeting, it is understood Kohli agreed with the selectors that Pandya was good enough to feature as a specialist batsman at the moment with an eye on working his way back as an allrounder by the time India land in England for the five-match Test series in July.Patel the allrounder pips Nadeem to take Jadeja’s roleThe absence of Ravindra Jadeja, who had a finger surgery recently after the Sydney Test, meant the selectors were on a lookout for an able replacement. With India likely to play three spinners in order to dominate Joe Root’s England on spinner-friendly pitches, the selectors wanted a third option in addition to R Ashwin and Kuldeep Yadav.Both Shahbaz Nadeem and Patel were the lead contenders based on their experience and success in first-class cricket including at India A. Nadeem, who has played a solitary Test, against South Africa in 2019, has 443 first-class wickets, 83 of which have come for India A at an average of under 30. It is understood the selectors preferred Patel, who has played white-ball cricket for India, due to his lower-order batting prowess with which he had made an impact in the white-ball segment.Even in first-class cricket, Patel, who plays for Gujarat (the last two Tests are scheduled in Ahmedabad).has decent numbers as a bowling allrounder: 134 wickets and 1665 runs in 39 first-class games including a century and 13 half-centuries.Nadeem, the selectors found, had a weaker bowling form in the last two years in first-class cricket compared to Patel, who played a pivotal role in Gujarat making the Ranji semi-finals in the 2019-20 season.Rahul to return from second TestRahul, who has not played in the longer format since 2019 tour of West Indies, sprained his wrist midway into the Test series in Australia. However, he is on the mend and based on his fitness status, the selectors have drafted him for the England series from the second Test.The selectors are set to meet once again during or immediately after the second Test to pick to update the squad for the final two matches of the series including the day-night Tests, which will be played in newly built ground in Motera.It is expected the panel will at the time assess the fitness status of the fast bowling pair of Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav along with Jadeja, who all picked different injures in Australia. While Shami had an elbow fracture, Yadav pulled his calf and Jadeja had a dislocated finger. Natarajan rested
T Natarajan, who has had a fairy tale few months since the 2020 IPL, followed by successful debut for India in all three formats on the Australian tour, has been rested by the selectors. The idea being Natarajan, who travelled to Australia directly from the IPL and also missed the birth of his daughter, would be ready for the white-ball segment of the homes series against England, which comprises of five T20Is and three ODIs.Nadeem among standbysThe selectors have also named four standbys, who will be inducted into the squad in case anyone from the main squad needed to be replaced. These standbys, essentially back-ups, will not be travelling with the India squad, but will be pulled out of the second domestic tournament, which the BCCI will announce shortly, if there is a requirement.Among the standbys, all of whom have featured in India A, are India and Jharkhand left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem, Andhra wicket-keeper KS Bharat, Bengal opening batsman Abhimanyu Easwaran, Gujarat batsman Priyank Panchal and Rajasthan legspinner Rahul Chahar.Also part of the enhanced squad, which has become a norm due to the pandemic, will be five net bowlers comprising: the fast bowling trio of Ankit Rajpoot (Uttar Pradesh), Avesh Khan (Madhya Pradesh) and Sandeep Warrier (Kerala). There are also two spinners among the net bowlers: Karnataka spin-bowling allrounder K Gowtham and Uttar Pradesh left-arm spinner Saurabh Kumar.Main squad:
Openers: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Mayank Agarwal
Middle-order: Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (captain), Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant, Wriddhiman Saha, Hardik Pandya, KL Rahul (subject to fitness after first Test)
Fast bowlers: Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur
Spinners: R Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel
Standbyes: KS Bharat (wicketkeeper), Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shahbaz Nadeem, Rahul Chahar, Priyank Panchal
Net bowlers: Ankit Rajpoot, Avesh Khan, Sandeep Warrier, K Gowtham, Saurabh Kumar

Faiz Fazal, Vidarbha captain: Given it’s a T20 World Cup year and with the IPL auction in the pipeline, I would like to begin with the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20s and then move on to the Ranji Trophy. Beginning with T20s will allow players to get into the thick of things.Parvez Rasool, Jammu & Kashmir captain: For players like me who don’t have an IPL contract, the SMA T20s are a lifeline. Even one big impact performance for your team can boost your chances of being noticed by franchises. So I’d definitely like to start with the Mushtaq Ali T20s and then move on to the Ranji Trophy. The window is very limited, so maybe then [we] can look to have a zonal system this year and then stage the knockouts. I understand the number of matches each team plays will reduce, but having some form of first-class cricket is better than not playing at all.Priyank Panchal, Gujarat captain: I have no preference, and I’ll tell you why. After the previous season, one of my goals was to better my white-ball game. There were a few limitations to my batting in the shorter formats. So once the lockdown was lifted, I worked on a range of shots – like the ramp, scoop, paddle, short-arm jabs to deliveries banged into the pitch [and] my range hitting. The goal was to score consistently in the shorter formats, like I’ve done with the red ball. So if they plan to have the limited-overs options only, it’ll be a chance for me to see how the work during the off-season has helped. If it’s one of the 50-overs or T20 and Ranji Trophy, I’m fine with that too. The main thing is to get back onto the field.Jalaj Saxena, Kerala allrounder: Personally, I’d pick the Ranji Trophy as first priority and then if time permits, look to conduct the Mushtaq Ali T20s. But the dynamics will vary now with the IPL auction. If auctions are there, then SMA T20s will be held first.Abhimanyu Easwaran, Bengal captain: I’d prefer to have two tournaments – at least. For me, Ranji Trophy is really important. Obviously with the auction coming up, it [also] makes sense to have T20s. The more cricket we get, the better.

Big Picture

New Zealand has to be one of the toughest countries to tour in recent times. Last time a visiting team won a Test in New Zealand was in March 2017. That was also the last time New Zealand failed to win a Test series at home. With that as the backdrop, combined with the fact they just trounced West Indies by an innings in successive Tests, New Zealand were always the favourites against Pakistan.That Pakistan almost eked out a draw in the first Test must have boosted their confidence. But they suffered a setback on Saturday when Babar Azam was ruled out of the second Test as well. Mohammad Rizwan will once again lead the side under whom Pakistan had shown great fight in Mount Maunganui, but if the visitors want to draw the series, they will require their top order to step up.

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New Zealand, on the other hand, will have an eye on the future. A win here will strengthen their chances of qualifying for the World Test Championship final at Lord’s next year. More immediately, they can claim the top spot in the ICC Test rankings if they beat Pakistan 2-0, even if that changes after the Australia-India series concludes.What works in New Zealand’s favour is they know their home conditions too well. Against West Indies, Tom Latham gave a masterclass in opening the batting in the country, and in the last Test, their bowlers showed how to hunt as a pack and bowl a side out on the fifth day in New Zealand. Having said that, the team that comes out on top in Christchurch will be the one that can stay in the present the most.

Form guide

New Zealand WWWWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Pakistan LDDLW

In the spotlight

Kane Williamson tries his best to avoid the limelight, but it will not be easy for him to stay invisible in the middle. Not only is he the fulcrum of New Zealand’s batting but also the No. 1-ranked batsman in Test cricket. Given his recent form – he has scores of 129, 21 and 251 in his last three innings – dismissing Williamson early will be half the battle won, no matter how much one says New Zealand don’t rely on one player.After a Barnes-esque start to his career, Mohammad Abbas‘ form has nosedived. In his last 12 Tests, he has picked up only 23 wickets at an average of 38.91 and a strike rate of 99.5. While pitches in New Zealand are generally conducive to seam bowling, particularly in the first innings, Abbas bagged just two wickets in 42 overs in the first Test. If Pakistan have to level the series, Abbas will need to deliver with the new ball.Mohammad Rizwan will once again lead Pakistan in the absence of Babar Azam•Getty Images

Team news

New Zealand are once again likely to go with a four-pronged pace attack, with Mitchell Santner as the lone spinner. That means Matt Henry should replace Neil Wagner, who has been ruled out because of two fractured toes.New Zealand XI (probable): 1 Tom Latham, 2 Tom Blundell, 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Henry Nicholls, 6 BJ Watling (wk), 7 Mitchell Santner, 8 Kyle Jamieson, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Matt Henry, 11 Trent BoultWith Azam still not fit, Pakistan may go with an unchanged XI.Pakistan XI (probable): 1 Shan Masood, 2 Abid Ali, 3 Azhar Ali, 4 Haris Sohail, 5 Fawad Alam, 6 Mohammad Rizwan (capt & wk), 7 Faheem Ashraf, 8 Yasir Shah, 9 Mohammad Abbas, 10 Shaheen Afridi, 11 Naseem Shah

Pitch and conditions

The pitch at the Hagley Oval tends to help bowlers on the first couple of days before the moisture dries off and batting becomes easier on the last day. The weather is expected to be windy and cloudy for the duration of the Test with scattered showers forecasted on the fifth day.

Stats and trivia

• New Zealand are on their joint-longest winning streak in Test cricket. They had registered five successive wins from April 2005 to March 2006 as well.
• New Zealand have won five, lost one and drawn one of the seven Tests they have played at the Hagley Oval.
• Tim Southee has 300 wickets from 76 Tests; 99 of those have come in his last 20 Tests at an average of 22.63 and a strike rate of 47.5.

As cliché as it is, Tottenham Hotspur's Premier League campaign was a season of two halves this year.

Ange Postecoglou's side got off to a blinder in August, going undefeated for ten games and looking ready for a title race, until their home game against Chelsea, in which they lost Micky van de Ven and James Maddison to injury and subsequently lost four games on the bounce.

The rest of the season was incredibly inconsistent for the North Londoners as they eventually slipped from a nailed-on Champions League spot to fifth place and the Europa League.

Maddison probably best embodied the club's form, as his incredible start to the year was followed by a lacklustre second half, culminating in his exclusion from England's European Championships squad and based on the latest player touted for a move to N17 this summer, he could have a fight on his hands to keep his place in Postecoglou's team.

Tottenham Hotspur transfer news

According to a recent report out of Brazil, Spurs are keen on signing Fulham midfielder Andreas Pereira this summer and have already 'expressed their interest' in the player.

The report has revealed that the Lilywhites, Newcastle United, and Aston Villa are also interested, and the Cottagers have valued their player at between £30m and £35m.

The added competition is far from ideal, but the fee seems reasonable for a Premier League-proven midfielder, let alone one who has played for Brazil, so Levy and Co should be looking to bring Pereira to the club, as the added competition can only do Maddison good in the long term.

How Pereira compares to Maddison

Now, the first thing to say is that if Spurs do go ahead and bring in Pereira this summer, it's unlikely that he would just immediately replace the former Foxes man in attacking midfield.

The club spent around £40m on the Englishman last year, and while his form in the latter half of the season fell off a cliff – one goal and four assists in 17 games – his output in the first ten games – three goals and five assists – was impressive enough to warrant giving him a second chance.

That said, Fulham's Brazilian ace also enjoyed a relatively fruitful season in West London, racking up three goals and nine assists in 44 games across all competitions for a weaker side.

Appearances

44

30

Goals

3

4

Assists

9

9

Goal Involvements per Match

0.27

0.43

With that said, how do the pair's underlying numbers stack up against one another? Well, unsurprisingly, the Lilywhites star comes out ahead in most metrics, such as non-penalty expected goals and assists, passing accuracy, shot-creating actions and shots on target, per 90.

However, the Cottagers' star does come out on top in specific statistics such as ball recoveries, aerial duels won, and goals per shot on target, all per 90.

Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists

0.40

0.52

Shots on Target

0.55

0.97

Goals per Shot on Target

0.19

0.17

Passing Accuracy

70.4%

80.7%

Shot-Creating Actions

4.72

6.79

Ball Recoveries

3.41

2.53

Aerial Duels

0.45

0.13

Moreover, one area the "outstanding" 28-year-old, as described by his manager Marco Silva, has the former Norwich City star beat handily is in availability.

Since the start of the 2020/21 campaign, the Duffel-born midfielder has missed just ten games through injury, whereas his potential new teammate has missed 46 matches in the same period.

Ultimately, while Maddison still looks to be the better player, signing Pereira would still be a good idea.

He's talented enough to rival the Englishman for a place in the team, and his injury record means he'd be able to step in the next time the Spurs ace is out injured.

Spurs looking to beat Arsenal to "outrageous" £26m Kulusevski upgrade

Levy will be hoping to bring the incredible talent to the white side of North London.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jun 6, 2024

The American forward assisted on two goals, one of which was controversial following replays

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Sargent provided two assists
• One assist came from out of play
• Norwich beat Derby 3-2

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  U.S. international Josh Sargent's two assists helped power Norwich to a 3-2 win over Derby in the English Championship. One of the goals sparked controversy, as Derby have a valid argument that it should not have counted.

  The controversy stems from Norwich's opener as Sargent charged up the pitch and near the goalline and found Borja Sainz on a low cross in front of goal to put the score at 1-0. Replays showed that Sargent and the ball went past the goaline on the cross and should have been considered out of play. Yet, the referee missed the incident.

  In a tightly-contested match, Derby would fight back and equalize thanks to Craig Forsyth in the 60th minute. Yet, Sainz wouldn't be denied and scored in the 65th minute to reclaim the lead. Providing the game-winning goal, Sargent found Sainz again to score in the 87th minute to put the match at 3-1. Derby would score once again in the 90th minute, but Norwich held on to win.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Norwich get their second win in a row and move up to seventh place in the English Championship. The team has relied heavily on Sargent this season, who is off to a solid start with two goals and three assists in seven appearances this season.

  Derby will rightly feel aggrieved though, having lost a game they should might at least drawn – things could have been dramatically different if Norwich didn't score the controversial opening goal.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Sargent was on the Norwich team that last played on the Premier League during the 2021-22 season prior to relegation.

  Derby's wait to return to the Premier League has been much longer. The last time were in the Premier League was during the 2007-08 season. During that campaign they set the all-time Premier League record for lowest points in a season with 11.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR NORWICH?

  Sargent and Norwich have two league matches, against Brenden Aaronson's Leeds on Oct. 1 and Hull City on Oct. 5, prior to the international break.

West Ham United's hopes of getting back into Europe once again next season are all but gone, but they will still want to finish the David Moyes era strongly, so the more players available to the Scot for his final games in charge, the better.

With that in mind, here is the latest injury and suspension news coming out of the London Stadium ahead of the Hammers' match with Luton Town on Saturday afternoon.

Latest West Ham United injury news

While West Ham's injury list isn't exactly lengthy, Moyes is still sweating over the makeup of his defence. The Hammers have been without Nayef Aguerd and Konstantinos Mavropanos for the last few weeks and have not won since their victory over Wolves on 6th April.

Moyes delivered the latest update on his squad before his side host Luton, in a game that could all but send the Hatters down if the Hammers come away with three points.

Konstantinos Mavropanos – knock

Greece international Konstantinos Mavropanos suffered a problem during West Ham's 2-0 defeat away at Bayer Leverkusen, and only lasted 60 minutes a few days later in the loss to Fulham.

Since then, Mavropanos has been missing and will once again be unable to play this weekend.

Nayef Aguerd – ankle

Nayef Aguerd rolled his ankle in the second-leg draw against Bayer Leverkusen, with Moyes ruling out the Moroccan from featuring this weekend once again.

It remains to be seen as to whether the centre-back can make an appearance before the season comes to a close, and with games running, you wonder if Aguerd will eventually be given the summer to recuperate.

"Lucas Paqueta seems OK and has trained for most of the week, but unfortunately we don't have Dinos [Mavropanos] or Nayef [Aguerd] back yet."

Latest West Ham United suspension news

West Ham currently have no suspensions.

The NSW coach enjoyed the variety of challenges on offer

Andrew McGlashan09-Jul-2020New South Wales coach Phil Jaques believes splitting the Sheffield Season between two types of balls was a good way of challenging the players to improve.Since 2016-17, the second half of the season played after the Big Bash had used a variation of the Dukes as part of Cricket Australia’s plans to give players more exposure to that type of ball ahead of last year’s Ashes where the urn was retained in England for the first time since 2001.Now the season will again be played with the Kookaburra throughout although the manufacturer has made some small tweaks and the feedback from the altered version which was trialled last season was positive.ALSO READ: Cricket Australia spin chief: Sheffield Shield pitches, not the ball, need to change”I think it’s created some good competition among the manufactures, and from a skills perspective for the players, it’s a good thing to have exposure to different things,” Jaques told ESPNcricinfo. “It’s been a really worthwhile experiment. CA have made the decision to go to one ball which will give the players some continuity but from a coach’s perspective, I thought the contest with the Dukes was also good and brought different skillset.”I didn’t mind having a slightly different ball for half a season, it’s good to keep stretching your players. But we’ve gone with the Kookaburra and the improvements they’ve made this year with the feedback they had has put them in good stead to be a better contest as well.”One of the reasons given for the return to the Kookaburra throughout the season is an attempt to bring more spin back into the Sheffield Shield although their numbers with the Dukes overall were marginally better than with the Kookaburra but the volume of overs had become an issue. The broader theme emerging about how to boost spin bowling is that it will come down to the nature of the surfaces. At the moment, only the Shield pitches used in Sydney offer much encouragement to spinners.”I’m sure the spinners around the country would like to play a greater role, from a development perspective it’s important that they do,” Jaques said. “I think it’s important that the New South Wales wickets always spin because otherwise there will be no wickets that really turn and when we do go to the subcontinent or anywhere else where it spins, the players don’t have the exposure to it. I’d personally like to see a bit more exposure to spinning wickets around the country but the make-up at the moment it’s how it is.”ALSO READ: All the Australian state squads for the 2020-21 seasonNew South Wales’ spin department, which includes Nathan Lyon when not on Australia duty, will have a new look this season with the retired Steve O’Keefe replaced by Adam Zampa after his move from South Australia while offspinner Arjun Nair has a rookie contract along with 18-year-old legspinner Tanveer Sangha.Zampa has spoken about a major part of the move being to revitalise his first-class career to push for a Test cap but there won’t be an open door to the starting XI. “We had an informal chat about where he wants to head and how he sees himself,” Jaques said. “From my perspective, there’re certainly opportunities for him to achieve what he wants to. He’s come to state on no promises, like everyone else he’ll have to earn his position and Adam’s very much up for that and wants to progress his game.”New South Wales secured the Sheffield Shield in strange circumstances back in March when the season was curtailed due to Covid-19 and the subsequent lockdown meant there was no squad celebration.”We are planning to do something. We’ll certainly celebrate it,” Jaques said. “You don’t get the opportunity to win a Sheffield Shield that often so think it’s important that we recognize it then we work really hard towards building a sustainable, successful team.”