Rahul made the most of a pitch where runs were hard to come by as he scored his first half-century of the season

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Apr-20252:08

Jaffer: Rahul’s takedown of Noor was the key for DC

KL Rahul carried Delhi Capitals on his shoulders with a high-quality half-century as the visitors posted 183 for 6 at Chepauk. Opening the batting in the absence of Faf du Plessis, he was able to pace his innings really well and more than that, he took down one of Chennai Super Kings’ main weapons. Rahul vs the IPL’s purple cap holder, Noor Ahmad, was 20 runs in nine balls with two fours and a six.Initially, Rahul (77 off 51) had to take some time to come to terms with a pitch that was dry and therefore prevented the ball from coming onto the bat. He was 25 off 20 with one four and one six at the end of nine overs. But once he decided to pull the trigger, even CSK’s best bowlers were no match for him. He took Noor, Matheesha Pathirana and Ravindra Jadeja for boundaries over the 11th, 12th and 13th overs as DC were put on course for their total. Two of those boundaries were mistakes by the bowler – Noor and Pathirana putting the ball in the slot – and all innings long Rahul was looking for those mistakes.Mukesh Choudhary was taken down as well. He was the only bowler that Rahul took risks against, because he had identified him as CSK’s weak link. Rahul reverse scooped him twice. He took further liberties when he moved across his crease at the start of the 19th over and swept a ball from the off side wide line to the square leg boundary. Pathirana closed the innings with two wickets in his final over, including Rahul’s, but by then the score had reached more than competitive levels. Khaleel Ahmed with 2 for 25 was CSK’s best bowler.

A difficult night in the Champions League for Liverpool was compounded by a tongue-in-cheek social media post from Galatasaray, using the Reds' famous anthem You'll Never Walk Alone against them. Arne Slot's side lost 1-0 on the evening, making it back-to-back defeats following the 2-1 reversal at Crystal Palace in the Premier League last weekend.

AFPSlot shot down in Istanbul

Galatasaray defeated Liverpool 1-0 courtesy of a Victor Osimhen penalty in the 16th minute after Dominik Szoboszlai fouled Baris Yilmaz. Liverpool boss Slot made several changes to his starting line-up, dropping Mohamed Salah and Alexander Isak to the bench, and struggled to break down Galatasaray's well-organised defence. Despite dominating possession, Liverpool failed to convert their chances with Gala goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir making crucial saves, including from Cody Gakpo and Florian Wirtz efforts. Liverpool's frustrations were compounded by injuries to goalkeeper Alisson and striker Hugo Ekitike, forcing them to be substituted in the second half. A late penalty awarded to Liverpool for a foul on Ibrahima Konate was overturned by VAR, confirming the home side's victory. 

AdvertisementGala take swipe at Reds

After the match, a Gala post on their official English X account said: "You'll never walk alone, but sometimes you walk out without points."

Slot disappointed by referee performance

Slot pointed the finger firmly at referee Clement Turpin for his side's defeat, suggesting the two major decisions in the match were incorrect. Slot said: "I haven’t seen it back but there was no contact with the feet. The last few weeks I am talking quite a lot about how we are a very fair team and maybe their player was really smart, he felt something and made it feel as if it is an unbelievable hit. The referee thought he could not overturn it, though he did in the last minute when we got one. For me, it was a different loss to the one we had against Palace because there was a lot more to like, especially in the first half. In the second half it became harder and harder for us to create because first of all they were fighting with all they had and you have to give credit to them, and secondly the ball was hardly in play in the second half."

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Getty Images SportMassive fixtures coming for Reds

It’s not quite a wobble for Arne Slot and Liverpool just yet, but questions will be asked if performances don’t improve. The club invested heavily in the summer after landing the Premier League title and face a crucial period in the coming weeks, starting with a trip to Chelsea this weekend. There’s the small matter of Manchester United at Anfield after the upcoming international break, with Liverpool's next Champions League outing against Eintracht Frankfurt pencilled in for October 22. The Reds will host Brentford in the league three days later before attention turns to a round of 16 Carabao Cup tie against Crystal Palace.

Tottenham Hotspur are now willing to outbid their Premier League rivals to secure the signature of a “pure baller”, as they are determined to win the race.

Spurs looking at Eze alternatives after transfer blow

Eberechi Eze’s move to Arsenal has sparked a furious reaction among the Tottenham fanbase, with many suggesting that Daniel Levy is at fault, although Simon Jordan believes the chairman may not be to blame for the disappointing outcome.

Regardless, Spurs will now be forced to move on to alternative targets, and an offer was submitted for Como’s Nico Paz, which was knocked back, with Fabrizio Romano revealing Real Madrid stepped in to stop a deal going through.

With Spurs’ move for Paz proving unsuccessful, their list of targets has been narrowed down even further, and a report from Spain has now revealed they are determined to win the race for a different attacking midfielder…

Indeed, Tottenham are now prepared to outbid Crystal Palace in order to get a deal for Leicester City’s Bilal El Khannouss over the line, with the north Londoners intent on stopping the Moroccan signing for their Premier League rivals.

Spurs have ‘made it clear’ they won’t let the Eagles win the race for the attacking midfielder, who could command a fee of £32m, with Levy clearly unwilling to miss out on another key target to a fellow Premier League side.

El Khannouss would be risky signing for Spurs

The Leicester star is clearly thought of very highly by scout Ben Mattinson, who has hailed him as a “pure baller”, but Spurs are playing a risky game by going all out to win the race for the 21-year-old.

Unlike previous targets, such as Gibbs-White and Eze, the youngster is yet to prove himself at the top level, and hasn’t exactly set the world alight in terms of attacking contributions per 90 over the past year.

That said, with Paz no longer an option, the number of options on Spurs’ shortlist is dwindling, and the Belgium-born midfielder could flourish in a better side, having been part of a Leicester team that were relegated without putting up much of a fight last season.

As such, while it would be a gamble for Tottenham to sign El Khannouss, there are no longer many better options available, with a deal for Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers deemed unlikely.

Everton have raced out of the blocks firing on all cylinders so far this season.

Sometimes, change is unwelcome, but it appears that many of the new signings that arrived through the door this summer have been worthwhile investments, with the Toffees picking up two victories from a possible three in the Premier League so far.

Jack Grealish is hogging the limelight in this regard, and rightly so, as David Moyes beams from ear to ear about the attacking talent he now has at his disposal, alongside the assist king.

Why Grealish is king of Everton's new-look attack

There’s no danger that the former Aston Villa man could be hurt on the international break, with the 29-year-old far removed from Thomas Tuchel’s England plans at this moment in time.

Never say never about him donning Three Lions white again, however, if his early, scintillating form for the Toffees is anything to go by, with a stunning four assists seeing him lead the early assist charts in the Premier League.

Such has been the Englishman’s form that he’s in line to be crowned one of the division’s best players in the league over the first three gameweeks of the campaign.

It would not be a surprise if Grealish got in on the goalscoring act with a few strikes of his own, too, with Iliman Ndiaye leading the way for Moyes and Co in terms of goals, away from the number 18’s creative prowess stealing headlines.

Following on from his heroics at Goodison Park last season – where he netted nine strikes in league action – Ndiaye has taken to Everton’s new home at the Hill Dickinson Stadium like a duck to water, having actually picked up the individual accolade of scoring the first-ever goal by a Toffees player at their fresh and modern home.

He also helped secure Everton’s second victory of the season when bagging at Molineux, with the £17m spent on the ex-Sheffield United winger’s services last year continuing to reap its rewards.

Despite that, Grealish undenidably feels like their best player at the moment, but remarkably, there is another standout figure in Moyes’ camp worth even more than both Ndiaye and the Toffees loanee, who will surely be another player the Scotsman can rely on to keep up Everton’s red-hot start.

Worth more than Grealish & Ndiaye: Everton have struck gold

There will be some worries on Moyes’ end regarding the leaky nature of his defence across these promising victories.

Indeed, two goals were shipped away at Wolves last time out in league action despite their lowly early league position, with the centre-back partnership of Michael Keane and James Tarkowski perhaps a little too weathered to ride out a full season together.

This is where Jarrad Branthwaite will come to the rescue when he’s back to full fitness, having unfortunately had to sit out the start of this season so far, owing to injury concerns.

Reports suggest he should be back by the end of September, and it will be a welcome return to the first-team fold for Moyes, with the Cumbrian titan starring last campaign under the ex-West Ham United manager’s guidance when relegation worries still loomed large on Merseyside.

Branthwaite’s league numbers (24/25)

Stat (* = per game)

Branthwaite

Games played

30

Goals scored

0

Assists

1

Touches*

51.9

Accurate passes*

32.7 (83%)

Ball recoveries*

3.1

Clearances*

6.3

Total duels won*

3.9

Clean sheets

8

Stats by Sofascore

Just two games back into Moyes’ second reign at the club, Branthwaite was heroically putting his body on the line during a 1-0 win away at Brighton and Hove Albion, winning a valiant four duels on the day, typical of his commanding duels won average for the entire campaign.

Hailed as “magnificent” by Alan Shearer when first making waves on Merseyside, it is incredible how quickly the 6-foot-5 warrior has become the first name on the teamsheet when fit, having originally only cost the Toffees a measly £1m to win from his local side Carlisle.

Now, off the back of being consistently imperious across 75 Premier League clashes and counting, his transfer worth has skyrocketed to a mighty £43m, according to Transfermarkt. Amazingly, Grealish is only worth around £24m as per the same source, while Ndiaye comes in at an even lower valuation of £19m.

While Moyes will undoubtedly be pleased with his side’s electric start, he will pray that this is a sign that they can compete near the top of the league all season long, rather than it being a flash-in-the-pan moment.

With Branthwaite back in the team shortly, more staunch defensive performances should be on display, with even more wins to then hopefully write home about.

He’s Everton’s best defender and a European charge could well be on the way once he returns.

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Sunderland’s memorable summer of spending could be set to continue, with the Black Cats targeting a move for a Premier League player.

Chris Rigg signs new Sunderland deal

It has been a summer to remember at the Stadium of Light, with so many new faces arriving at the club to bolster the Black Cats’ chances of avoiding relegation back to the Championship.

However, having already lost Jobe Bellingham to Borussia Dortmund, it was equally important that Sunderland kept hold of youngster Chris Rigg, and they have done just that, tying him down to a new long-term deal, much to his happiness.

“It feels great to sign this new contract. There was only ever one ambition I had, and that was to agree a long-term deal here. It’s been an incredible journey since I made my debut at 15, and I love playing here and being here every day, so I’m absolutely buzzing.

“The past couple of years have flown by – it only feels like yesterday that I made my Championship debut, and a couple of weeks ago I made my Premier League debut. It feels unreal, and I couldn’t have asked for more. I’m so thankful to everyone who has helped me, and I’m so proud to be part of this team and this Club.”

It’s now a case of potentially striking some late summer business for Sunderland, with an encouraging new update emerging in that respect.

Sunderland make offer for "stylish" defender

According to journalist Santi Aouna on X, Sunderland have submitted an offer for West Ham centre-back Nayef Aguerd, amid strong interest from Marseille.

“L’OM has accelerated in recent hours on Nayef Aguerd. Discussions ongoing with West Ham. His possible arrival at L’OM is independent of that of Joel Ordonez. In parallel, Sunderland is pushing and has officially submitted an offer to West Ham for the Moroccan.”

The £50,000-a-week Aguerd could be a shrewd signing for Sunderland, with the 29-year-old such an experienced player – one who helped Morocco reach the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup against all odds.

Granted, the West Ham man has played both Premier League games this season, with the Hammers conceding eight goals, but he may like the idea of getting out of the mess at the London Stadium and joining a more positive Sunderland side.

The 55-cap Moroccan would add depth and nous to Regis Le Bris’ back-line, having been praised by David Moyes when he brought him to West Ham initially.

“We really wanted to buy him two years ago. He’s a really good player, really good on the ball, stylish. He’s got some really good attributes and I think he will big a plus to us.”

Perfect for Mukiele: £24m Sunderland target now "open" to joining

Sunderland could sign a new central defender before the window slams shut next week.

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Aguerd wouldn’t necessarily be a guaranteed starter for Sunderland, but given his experience, he would be such a strong addition in Sunderland’s quest to stay in the Premier League, potentially breaking into the team on a regular basis.

يستعد فريق برشلونة لمباراة الكلاسيكو أمام ريال مدريد في بطولة الدوري الإسباني، في ظل وجود بعض الغيابات وسط كتيبة المدرب هانز فليك، وشكوك حول جاهزية بعض اللاعبين.

ويحل برشلونة ضيفًا على ريال مدريد يوم الأحد المقبل، في إطار مباريات الجولة العاشرة للدوري الإسباني، وتقام المباراة على ملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو”.

وخاض برشلونة مباراة أمس الثلاثاء في الجولة الثالثة لمرحلة الدوري ببطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا، حقق خلالها فوزًا كبيرًا بنتيجة 6-1.

وكشفت صحيفة “ماركا” الإسبانية، عن موقف الثنائي خوان جارسيا وداني أولمو من المشاركة مع برشلونة أمام ريال مدريد في لقاء الكلاسيكو المرتقب.

ويوضح التقرير أنه من غير المرجح أن يتمكن خوان جارسيا وأولمو من اللعب في مباراة برشلونة وريال مدريد، حيث إن حارس المرمى مستبعد تمامًا بعد جراحة الغضروف المفصلي التي خضع لها في 27 سبتمبر الماضي.

اقرأ أيضًا | تقارير: راشفورد يجبر برشلونة على قرار حاسم بشأن مستقبله

والحد الأدنى لفترة تعافي خوان جارسيا هي أربعة أسابيع، والتي تنتهي يوم الجمعة، ولكن لن يخاطر برشلونة بمشاركته خوفًا من حدوث أي انتكاسة، لأنه يحتاج إلى بضعة أيام أخرى للتعافي بشكل جيد، وسيكون تشيزني هو حارس مرمى برشلونة أمام ريال مدريد.

وبالنسبة لداني أولمو لم يُستبعد تمامًا، لكن فرص مشاركته ضئيلة، وسيتعين خضوعه لفحوصات لتحديد مدى قدرته على المشاركة، لكن لن يُخاطر فليك أو يُجبره على اللعب ضد ريال مدريد.

A worrying update has dropped regarding the future of a “fantastic” Liverpool player, with a huge club confident that they will sign him next year.

Liverpool linked with potential Salah successors

Mohamed Salah continues to be one of the best players in the Premier League, despite the fact that his form has been well short of its best so far this season.

At 33 years of age, however, Liverpool do need to be aware that the Egyptian legend isn’t getting any younger, and that an elite replacement will eventually need to be found, in order to make the transition as seamless as possible when it happens.

Lyon winger Malick Fofana has been linked with a move to Anfield, being touted as a Salah successor, with the Belgian a hugely talented young player who can excel on either flank. Meanwhile, Bayern Munich star Michael Olise is also reportedly considered a leading option to come in and be Liverpool’s next star winger, with the Frenchman already scoring three goals in two Bundesliga appearances this season.

Away from the Salah situation, there is a Reds player whose future needs to be resolved as soon as possible, with a new update dropping.

Club think they will sign Liverpool regular

Speaking in a Q&A for The Athletic, journalist Mario Cortegana claimed that Real Madrid feel Liverpool centre-back Ibrahima Konate wants to move to the Bernabeu.

This comes just days after it was reported that Konate is in “very advanced” talks over a move to Madrid, with the rumours refusing to go away.

He doesn’t appear to be any closer to extending his stay, with the European giants considering him a key target alongside Arsenal’s William Saliba.

At this point, it does certainly feel more than possible that Konate could join Madrid next year, with his current Liverpool deal expiring in 2026 and no sign of an extension being agreed currently.

The £70,000-a-week Frenchman is an important player who the Reds should be looking to tie down, though, with Virgil van Dijk one admirer, heaping praise on him early last season.

“I think we need everyone to be at their best. He is a fantastic player who still can be better. As you saw, he is important with the goal, he is defensively solid, a bit unlucky with the goal we conceded, but obviously the qualities he has are outstanding in my opinion.”

Konate has received criticism for some poor form this season, but that shouldn’t cloud the fact that he is Liverpool’s second-most important defender and he has been a regular under Slot.

Liverpool identify Mohamed Salah successor who is loved by Man City star

The Reds are ready to recruit an exciting attacker who could be a long-term solution under Arne Slot.

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While losing him to Madrid wouldn’t necessarily feel like the end of the world, some supporters may only fully appreciate the job he does when he leaves, and how hard it may be to replace him.

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No jogo de ida entre América-MG e Corinthians, pelas quartas de final da Copa do Brasil, o Coelho venceu o Timão por 1 a 0, com gol de Juninho, na Arena Independência. O volante aproveitou falhas de Cássio e Gil para deixar os mineiros em vantagem no confronto.

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O nome do confronto foi o goleiro Mateus Pasinato, que fez diversos milagres para segurar a vitória dos mineiros. Veja as notas dos jogadores corintianos e do técnico Vanderlei Luxemburgo no gráfico abaixo.

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Christian Pulisic vowed to 'work 10 times harder' after his penalty miss cost AC Milan the chance to go top of the Serie A table heading into the international break.

• Pulisic acknowledges blunder vs Juventus

  Pulisic has publicly shared his heartbreak after his crucial penalty miss in the 0-0 Serie A draw against Juventus on Sunday. According toLa Gazzetta dello Sport, the American international took to social media to express his anguish and make a vow to the club's supporters after the Rossoneri dropped points.

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• AFP
  

  What Pulisic said after the penalty miss

  The day after the stalemate in Turin, Pulisic posted a message to his followers, apologising for the costly error that denied his team a vital victory. Despite receiving support from his coach and teammates, the forward felt compelled to address the fans directly. "It kills me to disappoint this club," Pulisic wrote. "I'll work 10 times harder to make things right. Forza Milan always." The message was met with an overwhelmingly positive response from the Rossoneri fanbase, who were quick to forgive their top scorer.

• A costly miss in a tight affair

  Pulisic's failed spot-kick was the defining moment in a cagey encounter at the Allianz Stadium. A successful conversion would almost certainly have secured all three points for Milan and sent them to the top of the Serie A table. In a match with few clear-cut chances, where Milan managed just four shots on target from 13 attempts, the penalty was a golden opportunity to break the deadlock and claim a significant away win.

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• Pulisic's strong start to the season

  Despite the disappointment, the miss is a rare blemish on what has been an excellent start to the season for the USMNT captain. Pulisic has been Milan's standout attacking player in the opening months of the campaign and currently leads the Serie A goalscoring charts with four goals in six games. His strong performances have quickly made him a fan favourite, and his public apology has only further endeared him to the club's supporters.

The GT keeper put down a simple chance off Phil Salt in the first over of the game

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Apr-20251:17

Chopra: Buttler, a different beast in run-chases

Sometimes it’s good to be bad. Jos Buttler put down a simple chance off Phil Salt in the very first over of the game between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Gujarat Titans and that spurred him on to be better with the bat. Considering he was already averaging 94.66 against these opponents since IPL 2022, the extra motivation was likely to produce something special. And it did – a match-winning, unbeaten 73 off 39 balls, not to mention the return of a smile that he seemed to have lost captaining England in white-ball cricket over the last few years.”I thought the bowlers did a fantastic job,” Buttler said after GT restricted RCB to 169. “We probably, if we fielded it a bit better, myself, looking at myself very much so, then we would have been chasing a few less.Related

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“I was pretty embarrassed, especially with [dropping] Salty. He’s a dangerous player. So the only thing I can think of, I was trying to throw it up to earlier, a bit like Herschelle Gibbs style [who dropped Steve Waugh in that fashion during the 1999 World Cup] but I didn’t even… I barely got a glove on it, it hit me in the chest. But due to that embarrassment, I was pretty determined to try and score some runs.”Buttler’s previous six innings against RCB, going backwards, had read 100*, 0, 0, 106*, 8, 70*. It was this version of him that walked out to bat on Wednesday night to crash five fours and six sixes. Not the one that relinquished the England captaincy after a dismal run at the Champions Trophy.”I was trying to play with lots of freedom, lots of intent,” he said. “I had a few months of pretty unenjoyable cricket, so trying to make sure I’m out there giving my best, and obviously a new team, new franchise, and excited to be here.”Buttler was signed by GT in the IPL auction in November for INR 15.75 crore, and although he is playing a different role here, at No. 3, to the one at Rajasthan Royals, where he had had a highly successful spell opening the batting, it seems to be working. He is the third-highest run-getter so far this season with a tally of 166 at a strike rate of 172.91.GT are fourth on the IPL 2025 points table with two wins from three games and head to Hyderabad next to play Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 6.