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It looked like it would be the week that would end Daniel Farke’s time at Leeds United. One that would all but condemn the Yorkshire giants to a swift return to the Championship. And yet.

While last weekend’s Etihad fight-back ultimately proved in vain, that second-half showing has sparked new life into the Elland Road side, having since claimed four valuable points at home to both Chelsea and Liverpool in recent days.

Unlike in midweek, however, the Whites were far from at their best this time around, with Hugo Ekitike surging the away side into what appeared to be an unassailable two-goal lead.

This is not the Liverpool side that claimed Premier League glory last term, though, nor is it the Leeds outfit which meekly fell to relegation two years ago – they’re made of sterner stuff.

Aided by the reckless Ibrahima Konate, Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s spot-kick sparked a frantic finale at Elland Road, with Anton Stach levelling things up just two minutes later.

Man of the moment Dominik Szoboszlai then looked to have popped the Leeds balloon, before Ao Tanaka came up trumps at the death – cue bedlam, delirium, and a queue of writers not quite sure what to make of it.

Tanaka the hero in stunning second-half fight-back

It was all going so wrong for Farke and co, with Joe Rodon gifting an opener to that man Ekitike, before the Frenchman netted a second almost within a minute to make it 2-0 on the 50-minute mark.

There looked to be no way back, with Leeds drifting toward defeat, before a trio of changes sparked the game into life.

Up stepped Wilfried Gnonto, Brenden Aaronson and the aforementioned Tanaka to alter proceedings, with the three late arrivals making an impact in all three goals for the home side.

Indeed, it was Gnonto’s direct run which drew the foul from Konate for Leeds’ first, while Aaronson laid on the assist for Stach, as Farke’s men levelled things up just two minutes later.

The headline-grabber, however, was Tanaka, with the Japanese midfielder – who had been replaced by Ilia Gruev in the starting lineup – pouncing at the backpost to snatch a point in the sixth minute of stoppage time.

That moment aside, the 2024 summer signing also notably won 100% of his duels after entering the fray, as per Sofascore, with the decision to start Gruev in his place seemingly backfiring as far as Farke is concerned.

Tanaka will surely be reinstated into the fold next time around, while fellow substitute Gnonto should also be in the mix for a regular starting berth again.

Why Leeds sub now needs to start every game

While Tanaka may have stolen the show in stoppage time, the game truly appeared to change due to the added dynamism of Gnonto in attack, with Leeds looking rather blunt prior to that.

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Noah Okafor, for instance, was hooked just after the hour mark, having made just five passes in all, while registering just 14 touches, with the Whites in need of a spark to ignite their limp forward line.

As ever, it was the diminutive Italian who proved to be just that, cleverly drawing the foul from Konate with his fleet of foot inside the area, representing one of two fouls he would win in that late cameo.

Direct and penetrating, the 22-year-old also notably recorded a stellar 100% pass accuracy even while seeking to make things happen for his side, having even recorded more touches (17) than Okafor despite his limited time on the field.

From Championship hero to peripheral Premier League figure, Gnonto has not had the game time he would’ve liked in 2025/26, with a calf injury limiting him to just seven top-flight outings thus far.

Gnonto’s 24/25 Stats

Stat (*per game)

Record

Games

43

Starts

26

Goals

9

Assists

6

Big chances missed

6

Big chances created

10

Key passes*

1.1

Pass accuracy*

81%

Successful dribbles*

1.0

Stats via Sofascore

On the evidence of Saturday night, however, he should well be a regular fixture moving forward, now that he is fit and firing again, with Leeds simply looking a different team with the speedy forward spearheading the attack.

As noted by Yorkshire Evening Post’s Graham Smyth, who awarded him an 8/10 match rating, Gnonto was ‘bright, lively, tricky’, having fearlessly taken the hosts forward time and again.

With a trip to Brentford now next on the agenda next weekend, the former Zurich starlet should surely be deserving of a recall to the starting XI.

Related Farke must unleash "wonderkid" who'd be perfect for Nmecha's new Leeds role

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Posts ByDan Emery Dec 6, 2025

Celtic are now reportedly confident that they’ll beat Manchester City to the signature of a rising star who made history back in February.

O'Neill confirms fresh Celtic timeline

It’s set to be a chaotic week at Celtic, with Wilfried Nancy set to arrive and Martin O’Neill set to take charge of his final European game as caretaker boss. The 73-year-old has done an admirable job and the Bhoys’ trip to Feyenoord represents the perfect way for him to pick up a win in the Europa League in his final attempt.

The veteran manager also confirmed that Nancy’s arrival is “imminent”. Whether that means the new manager will be in place in time to take charge of Celtic’s game against Hibernian this Sunday remains to be seen, however.

The Columbus Crew manager is already reportedly planning January reinforcements from the MLS side. Both Wessam Abou Ali and Diego Rossi have both already been linked with moves to Scotland ahead of Nancy’s arrival and both would certainly help to solve the Bhoys’ goalscoring issues.

If Celtic are to stand a chance of catching Hearts in the Scottish Premiership then the January window will be crucial. They must make up for their summer failure by reinforcing their attack in January, before continuing that work into the next window.

It’s then that they could welcome 17-year-old Michael Noonan by fending off interest from Premier League giants Manchester City.

Celtic confident they'll sign Michael Noonan

According to the Scottish Sun, Celtic are now confident they’ll sign Noonan ahead of interest from Man City next year in what would be an impressive coup for a rising star. The 17-year-old made history when he became the youngest goalscorer in Europa Conference League history at 16 years and 197 days old in February.

After scoring three goals at the U17 World Cup, Noonan earned the praise of scout Jacek Kulig, who dubbed the forward “a superb advanced striker” and “the future of Irish football”.

Nancy must unleash Celtic's most frustrating player since Engels

Wilfried Nancy must unleash this Celtic star who is their most frustrating player since Arne Engels.

1

By
Dan Emery

Nov 26, 2025

Everything points towards a top star on the rise and one that Celtic should do everything to sign. Beating Man City to such a talent would be an impressive move too, and the Hoops’ confidence suggests that Noonan could yet be on his way to Glasgow.

Celtic agree deal to appoint 54-year-old coach to Wilfried Nancy's backroom team

The St. Louis Cardinals hosted the Minnesota Twins on Saturday afternoon for an early-season clash. Cardinals first baseman Willson Contreras momentarily stole the show, not because of anything he did on the field, but because of what he did in the batter's box. And not because of any big hit he had the batter's box, but rather because of what he in the batter's box.

While at-bat, Contreras stepped back from the plate and ripped what appeared to be tape off the handle of his bat with his teeth. He then popped the tape into his mouth. It was far too casual.

Fans across the league were left confused by Contreras's decision.

A very odd sequence.

Opener hits unbeaten 72 off 40 balls to keep Rockets winless

ECB Media10-Aug-2025Eighteen-year-old Davina Perrin continued her impressive domestic form with a sparkling 42-ball 70 to overpower Trent Rockets in The Hundred.It was Perrin’s first half-century in The Hundred, and the second-highest score by a female English player uncapped at international level. More importantly for Perrin and Northern Superchargers, it took them to the top of the table with two wins from two.”I had a conversation with one of the coaches before and he said: ‘What are you going to do when you go out?’ And I was like: ‘have fun,'” Perrin said. “It was a pretty decent deck, it was coming onto the bat nicely, so it allowed me to lean into it and just try and play strong shots. It’s nice to do it front of so many people and on a decent ground, so happy days.”It was a dominant performance from the team in purple, who were on top straight away and rarely let their foot off the gas, save some customary excellence from Trent Rockets skipper Ash Gardner.The Superchargers had Rockets at 5 for 3 after 18 balls and right up against it, Gardner did her thing to fight back with a 32-ball 61 but it was essentially a lone hand and her side’s eventual total of 128 felt light at a sun-dappled Trent Bridge.Ash Gardner forces one away through the off side•Warren Little/Getty ImagesPerrin dominated the opening partnership of 62 with Alice Davidson-Richards and entertained the crowd throughout, with strong shots all around the wicket and even a one-handed scoop. Phoebe Litchfield matched her stroke for stroke with her 10-ball 22 and Annabel Sutherland finished things off in a fittingly creative way, reverse-sweeping through the off-side.It was a performance of great promise from the Superchargers who will feel they’re laying down a marker, for Rockets the need to get a win on the board is getting ever greater.

Strasbourg defender Ismael Doukoure has been handed a four-match suspension for his red card after a challenge that left Lyon's Malick Fofana with a serious ankle injury. The incident, which occurred during Lyon's 2-1 Ligue 1 victory over Strasbourg on Monday, has left Fofana ruled out for several months and drawn a heavy suspension from the LFP, Ligue 1's governing body.

• Doukoure's four-match ban confirmed

  The LFP disciplinary committee met on Thursday to review the challenge and handed down the significant sanction to the 22-year-old Strasbourg player. The tackle occurred in the 67th minute of the heated match as Doukoure, attempting to win the ball from behind, lunged in recklessly and caught Fofana's right ankle. Following a VAR review, the referee rescinded the initial yellow card and produced a straight red card for serious foul play.

  The ban means Strasbourg, who currently sit fourth in the Ligue 1 table, will be without their starting defender for crucial upcoming league fixtures as they look to maintain their surprise push for a Champions League qualification spot.

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• Getty Images
  

  Fofana facing surgery on 'serious' ankle injury

  The consequences for Malick Fofana and Lyon are severe. The 20-year-old Belgian international was stretchered off the pitch in clear distress and taken to hospital for immediate assessment.

  Lyon released an official statement confirming the extent of the damage, which will likely require an operation and rules the player out for the long term.

  "Tests carried out overnight at the hospital, then confirmed today, revealed a serious sprain of the right ankle, accompanied by injuries which will most likely require surgery, which should keep him off the pitch for several months," the club statement read.

  "Olympique Lyonnais will put in place all necessary measures to ensure Malick Fofana receives the best possible medical care and supports his rehabilitation, in order to plan for his return to the squad as quickly as possible."

  The prognosis of "several months" could see Fofana miss the remainder of the 2025-26 campaign, with some reports suggesting he may not return until well into 2026.

• Strasbourg boss Rosenior apologises for 'impulsive' reaction

  Strasbourg manager Liam Rosenior was visibly frustrated with the red card decision during the match and criticised the referee afterwards. After reviewing the replay, though, he offered a full apology for his initial reaction.

  Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Rosenior expressed regret and offered support to the injured Lyon forward.

  "We all make mistakes, I reacted impulsively, I was wrong about the red card," Rosenior explained. "I apologise. I hope Fofana recovers quickly."

  The loss of Fofana is a devastating blow to Lyon coach Paulo Fonseca, whose squad is already stretched thin in forward areas. Fofana had been a key performer this season, registering two goals in 12 Ligue 1 appearances.

  His injury comes after a difficult summer transfer window that saw the departures of key attackers Rayan Cherki and Georges Mikautadze. Furthermore, fellow winger Ernest Nuamah remains sidelined with a long-term ACL injury sustained in April.

  The immediate impact of Fofana's absence was felt on Wednesday, as Lyon collapsed in their Ligue 1 match against Paris FC. Despite leading 3-0 at the hour mark, Fonseca's side were forced to settle for a 3-3 draw, dropping vital points in the race for European football.

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• Liverpool & Chelsea interest paused by long-term layoff

  Fofana's emergence as one of Ligue 1's brightest prospects had attracted significant attention from the Premier League. Both Liverpool and Chelsea have been heavily linked with a move for the 20-year-old.

  Liverpool's scouting department, led by sporting director Richard Hughes, has reportedly monitored Fofana for months as a potential long-term successor to Mohamed Salah, viewing his pace and directness as an ideal fit for Arne Slot's system.

  Chelsea, meanwhile, saw Fofana as a prime target for their youth-focused recruitment strategy, valuing his high developmental potential. Fofana is under contract at Lyon until 2028, but his representatives were reportedly exploring options for a potential move at the end of the current season. This severe injury setback will now put any transfer negotiations on hold indefinitely.

  Speaking last month about the speculation, Fofana had maintained his focus on developing at Lyon.

  "There was interest from those two clubs [Liverpool and Chelsea], but ultimately nothing concrete," Fofana said. "I've considered a transfer, but now I think it's more important that I play a lot, and that has to happen at Lyon. Because I still have some progress to make."

  The winger now faces a long and arduous period of rehabilitation before he can continue that progress on the pitch.

With the news filtering through that Ross Wilson is now joining Newcastle United as the club’s new sporting director, it could well be make or break time for a number of the reserve personnel at St James’ Park who are nearing the end of their current deals.

Indeed, Wilson will want to leave his mark on proceedings, with the likes of Matt Targett surely being let go when his deal expires next summer.

The likes of Kieran Trippier and Fabian Schar, however, will surely be keen to extend their current contracts, which also expire next year, even as they reach both 35 and 33, respectively, having shown they can still offer up plenty of quality as St. James’ Park veterans.

Dan Burn will also want to continue his celebrated Newcastle stay for as long as possible, even if question marks continue to pop up about his suitability as a left-back in Eddie Howe’s XI.

What the future holds for Dan Burn at Newcastle

Burn has become a staple at Newcastle over recent years, with the Blyth-born colossus beaming from ear to ear when he lifted the EFL Cup last year to break the Toon’s long trophy drought, having scored in the unbelievable 2-1 victory.

In total, the 6-foot-7 defender has now tallied up 158 appearances for Howe and Co since joining from Brighton and Hove Albion in 2022, with Burn missing from just one Premier League contest all season long last campaign.

Still, he hasn’t been without his critics this season, with one Toon-based content creator even dubbing Burn’s extended shifts at left-back over recent games as the “stuff of nightmares”.

In particular, the England international notably struggled to close down Bukayo Saka during Newcastle’s late 2-1 collapse against Arsenal, with the usually formidable 33-year-old giving away possession a high 26 times in the process.

With Malick Thiaw’s emergence into the side as an up-and-coming centre-back option, it’s unlikely that Burn will be shoved back into the heart of the backline soon, with the ageing number 33 just hopeful he can remain a consistent starter until his own contract runs out in the summer of 2027.

One of Burn’s Newcastle teammates doesn’t look to have the same luxury of time on his side, however.

Newcastle "leader" is now on borrowed time

When scanning the current makeup of the Magpies’ first-team step-up, there are an awful lot of figures who have been with the club since the very beginning of Howe’s reign.

Nick Pope left Burnley behind for the allure of St. James’ Park during Howe’s first proper summer transfer window, and despite some murmurs last season by journalist Adam Clery that he looks “absolutely petrified” to make an error, he remains Howe’s number one choice all those years down the line.

He does, however, have that same weight on his shoulders that the likes of Trippier and Schar are feeling, as his contract also expires this approaching June.

Jamaal Lascelles is also in this same unwanted boat, but he has been situated on Tyneside since the days of Rafa Benitez, even when his team were locked into a Championship promotion race during the 2016/17 season.

At the time, Lascelles would stand up strong as the Toon’s captain to guide the underachievers back up to the top-flight, with Newcastle royalty in Alan Shearer even going out of his way to label the 31-year-old as a “leader.”

Games played

253

Goals scored

15

Assists

4

Days out with injury

953

Games missed with injury

119

Since then, he has notched up 159 Premier League appearances and counting, but with their Champions League status now nearly a decade from Lascelles’ moment in the spotlight, and his recurring nature in and out of the St James’ treatment room currently, it might well be an apt time to pull the plug on the Derby-born centre-back’s long-winding stay, when his deal ceases to be in June.

Lascelle’s woes with injuries haven’t stopped him from still being seen as a club captain off the pitch, with Howe further reinforcing that he is an “incredible” player to have around the dressing room.

But, with Wilson through the door, and his contract soon to be up, now could be the time to wave goodbye, with Lascelles potentially going on to be a hero for another club, if he can exorcise his injury demons once and for all.

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ByAngus Sinclair Oct 11, 2025

Jamie Carragher has ignored England as he named his favorites for the 2026 World Cup. Thomas Tuchel's side were the first European team to qualify for the tournament in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, and head into their final two qualifiers already assured of their place; Carragher, though, has picked Argentina, Spain, and France as his favorites.

Tuchel's men overlooked

England have enjoyed a flawless qualification campaign, winning all six of their six qualifiers thus far. As a result, their November qualifiers against Serbia and Albania offer Tuchel the opportunity to experiment with his starting XI, as well as his squad composition, ahead of the tournament next summer. 

Nevertheless, Tuchel has insisted that England will arrive at the showpiece as "underdogs", despite their sterling progress in tournaments since 2018. Under Gareth Southgate, they reached two finals – Euro 2020 and Euro 2024 – and also reached the World Cup semi-finals and quarter-finals. 

He said: "We will arrive as underdogs in the World Cup because we haven't won it for decades, and we will play against teams who have repeatedly won it during that time, so we need to arrive as a team otherwise we have no chance.”

AdvertisementGetty Images SportCarragher overlooks Three Lions

Carragher was asked to pick his favourites for the tournament and backed champions Argentina to harness the support of the US, following Lionel Messi's impact in MLS, while favouring Spain and France from Europe, instead of Tuchel's side. 

He told CBS Sports, via the Independent: “You have to look at Argentina, the holders, will it be the last time we see Messi play football? They’ll probably have great support, especially if they play in Miami, with his impact on MLS and playing for Inter Miami. 

“From the European side of things, the European champions, Spain with Lamine Yamal and then France with Kylian Mbappe, arguably the two best players in the world right now, alongside obviously Ousmane Dembele with France as well.

“I find it very difficult to ever look at a tournament and not have France at the back of my mind. [England are in] the next level of teams, alongside Portugal, those teams I’ve mentioned are probably the favourites and then they’ve got an outside chance.”

Tuchel's praise

After England's most recent outing, a crushing 5-0 win over Latvia, Tuchel was fulsome in his praise of his players, as they continue to develop an understanding under the German manager's system. 

“Brilliant, such a good mood in the dressing room," he said. "It feels very different because it's our dream to go to [North] America and now we've made it, another good performance and a top result. We now have six wins and six clean sheets so we're very happy.

“We're dominant in games, we're hungry, we invest against the ball, we have a lot of ball wins in the opponent's half.You look at our last goal, Harry Kane controlled the way back in his own half after a mistake from a teammate, helps defend the ball and wins the ball for the goal for Ebs (Eberechi Eze).

“It's good and we're on our way.”

He added: “It's a club feel because we play very aggressive, we play a high press. It's a very physical game that we play. It's very demanding but it gets everyone going. Everyone needs to go and buy into the idea because otherwise we can't press so high so we have a lot of ball wins.

“The guys train on a high level and the group is a very good group. It's a pleasure to coach them. That's the result, it's step by step and we're getting there.”

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Getty Images SportWhat comes next?

England have two more qualifiers before they head to the United States and are also likely to schedule warm-up friendlies beforehand. England will head to the States with the hopes of finally finding a way to end 60 years of hurt, and if qualification is anything to go by, they will be right up there. Tuchel has actually only overseen one defeat thus far, a 3-2 friendly loss to Senegal. 

New England Women’s head coach sees opener add unbeaten 130 to her three wickets as Lancashire crush The Blaze

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay23-Apr-2025England allrounder Emma Lamb delivered a match-winning performance as Lancashire opened the new era of women’s county cricket with an emphatic eight-wicket win over The Blaze in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup at Trent Bridge.Watched by the national team’s newly-appointed head coach, Charlotte Edwards, opening batter Lamb took three for 42 with her off-breaks as The Blaze were restricted to 234 from 50 overs after opting to bat first, before making an unbeaten 130 with the bat as Lancashire chased down their target with five overs to spare.Scotland captain Kathryn Bryce almost inevitably top-scored with 70 for the home side, Georgia Elwiss making 49 on debut. Left-arm spinner Hannah Jones also took three wickets, with England seamer Mahika Gaur picking up two.Related

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All out to the last ball of their allocated 50 overs, The Blaze total always looked under par even on a used pitch, with too many batters out to self-inflicted errors.With the ball, they could not muster the same discipline as their opponents and critically dropped centurion Lamb three times, the opener going on to hit 15 boundaries.England duo Tammy Beaumont and Amy Jones – another Blaze debutant – who opened the innings, were both out to loose shots, Jones when looking well set on 30. The same malaise afflicted their middle order while even Bryce, well though she played, might consider her dismissal was avoidable.On the other hand, Lancashire’s bowlers deserved credit for creating pressure through the middle of the innings. England seamer Kate Cross sent down 39 dot balls and was unlucky to finish wicketless, two catches going down off her bowling.Beaumont – captaining in place of the injured Kirstie Gordon – was the first casualty, caught at short third chasing a wide delivery from Gaur. Bryce and Jones built nicely, but after the second-wicket pair had added 47 the England wicketkeeper perished tamely, hitting Sophie Morris’s left-arm spin straight to long-off.There seemed to be no shifting the irrepressible Bryce, who was beginning her domestic season only five days after concluding Scotland’s ICC World Cup qualifying tournament in Lahore with an unbeaten 131 in the thriller against Ireland. The all-rounder, whose half-century here came in 53 balls, has amassed a remarkable 1,786 runs in all formats since the start of 2024.With Elwiss – the former Loughborough Lightning skipper who is back in the East Midlands after a highly successful stint with Southern Vipers – she put on 82 for the third wicket before Elwiss, who had looked impressive, was bowled by a clever delivery from Hannah Jones.Nonetheless, The Blaze looked to have a platform for a big score at 146 for 3 from 32 overs but probably wasted the opportunity. Bryce, already with a boundary in the over, was caught at mid-off, Orla Prendergast at extra cover, Ella Claridge at deep mid-wicket and Georgie Boyce at midwicket, the last three seeing 191 for 4 become 197 for 7 in the space of 11 balls.Josie Groves plundered 21 after being dropped on one, but 234 looked a tricky total to defend.Needing to build pressure on their opponents from the start, The Blaze did not help themselves, with new-ball bowlers Grace Ballinger and new signing Charley Phillips, formerly with Sunrisers, each conceding wides and boundaries in their opening spells.Bryce the bowler made a breakthrough with her first delivery, inducing a return catch via a leading edge to remove ex-Central Sparks skipper Eve Jones on her Lancashire debut, but Lamb and overseas signing Katie Mack took charge, Lamb making The Blaze pay as Elwiss dropped her on 17 at midwicket and Groves on 26 at backward point – Ballinger the unlucky bowler on both occasions – by completing a 65-ball half-century with her ninth four.It took until the 31st over for the second-wicket pair to be separated, England leg-spinner Sarah Glenn bowling Australia’s Mack middle stump for 44 to end a stand worth 114.Lamb had another escape on 92, albeit to a tough caught-and-bowled chance spilled by Glenn, but kept her nerve and completed her fifth List A hundred from 114 balls, having hit 12 boundaries, then seeing her side over the line in an unbroken 86-run partnership with Seren Smale (38 not out).

Rupganj Tigers pick up the first points of the season as Abdul Mazid’s unbeaten hundred seals a last-ball thriller

Mohammad Isam20-Mar-2025

Key takeawaysAgrani Bank and Gulshan Cricket Club were the surprise packages in the second week of the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League. Both teams won three matches each and are joint-top on the points table alongside defending champions Abahani Limited. All three have ten points each but Abahani Limited have a better net run rate.Meanwhile, Big-spending Mohammedan Sporting Club dropped points after their 65-run defeat against Gazi Group. Gulshan Cricket Club are also on eight points like Mohammedan, having won their last three matches. Agrani too have been impressive, with Shadman Islam and Imrul Kayes leading with the bat.Related

DPL week 1: Naim's 176 helps Prime Bank breach 400

Best battersGazi Group’s Anamul Haque scored an unbeaten 149 against Mohammedan in their big win at the BKSP-4 ground on March 18. He struck 12 fours and four sixes, batting through their 336 for 5 in 50 overs. He was particularly brutal against Taskin Ahmed, who conceded 107 runs in his ten overs for his three wickets, the most expensive spell in Bangladesh’s List-A history.Best bowlersLeft-arm spinner Mahfuzur Rahman Rabby took the only five-wicket haul this week but it was Agrani Bank’s Robiul Hoque whose 4 for 14 damaged Dhanmondi Sporting Club quite badly. He removed Ashiqur Rahman, Yasir Ali, Moin Khan and Hasan Murad in a miserly spell that helped Agrani Bank to a five-wicket win at the BKSP-4 ground on March 13. Robiul has been knocking on the senior team’s doors for a few years, only being held back by the plethora of fast bowlers around him.Best matchRupganj Tigers picked up their first points this season in dramatic fashion, after their last-ball win against Partex Sporting Club at the BKSP-3 ground. Batting first, Partex were bowled out for 223. Abdul Mazid held things together despite Partex keeping the chase tight. Rupganj needed ten runs in the last over, and three from the final ball. Mazid scooped the last ball for a four to win the game and bring up his first century of the season.Points to ponderWith just over halfway through the first phase, eight teams are in contention for six Super League spots. Dhanmondi Sports Club and Prime Bank Cricket Club seem to be having a hot and cold season so far. The battle for avoiding relegation is also going to be tight, with four teams – Rupganj Tigers, Partex, Brothers Union and Shinepukur Cricket Club – on two points each.Players to watchSeam-bowling allrounder Tofael Ahmed has made some telling contributions for Gazi Group with 192 runs at an average of 48.00, and seven wickets at 11.85. The Sylhet-born Tofael was instrumental in his side’s superb win against Mohammedan, taking on Taskin frequently.

Wolves’ Premier League campaign got off to a rough start after they were defeated 4-0 by Manchester City on Saturday evening.

Despite the scoreline, Wolves boss Vitor Pereira had admiration for the way his side played, saying: “We played with bravery, tried to score goals, and we had our chances to score. In the end, each time we committed a mistake they punished us with a goal.”

Wolves only had one shot on target, fewer than City, but a poor day in the office for goalkeeper Jose Sa saw him underperform his xG faced by -1.73 meaning he conceded chances that he should have saved. Sa’s performance was compounded by a defensive error from Emmanuel Agbadou that saw his misplaced pass reach City’s Oscar Bobb, who proceeded to assist Tijani Reijnders.

Agbadou’s place in the starting 11 may now be under threat as Wolves close in on a deal for a new centre-back.

Wolves' interest in Arsenal's Kiwior

Caught Offside have revealed that Wolves are one of the sides “showing interest” in signing Arsenal’s Polish defender, Jakub Kiwior.

The centre-back received a long run in the team in the back half of last season when Gabriel was injured, and during this time, his performances were labeled as “impressive” by analyst Ben Mattinson, possibly where his increased interest started.

The player isn’t one that Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta wants to sell, but after already being behind William Saliba and Gabriel in the first-team pecking order and with new arrival Cristhian Mosquera also likely to start ahead of him, Kiwior is open to a move somewhere he can receive more game time.

If Wolves want to sign Kiwior, then they will face significant Premier League opposition, as both Crystal Palace and Everton are rumored to be interested. They’ll face additional competition on the continent with Serie A sides Juventus and AC Milan, as well as Portugal’s Porto.

Kiwior won’t come cheap and is valued at more than £30 million, which would make him the most expensive defender in the club’s history, ahead of Nathan Collins and Nélson Semedo.

Wolves' formation suits Kiwior's play style

While Kiwior impressed in the back half of last season, there is a reason he’s not a regular starter for Arsenal, and that is his defensive success rate.

These stats are pretty damning for a defender. 90% of Premier League centre-backs won a higher percentage of their attempted tackles last season, and even his best defensive attribute, which is his duels, puts 60% of centre-backs ahead of him.

However, what Kiwior lacks in defensive attributes, he makes up for in his passing ability. Last season, the Polish international registered a 91.9% pass success rate, which put him in the top 15% of players. Additionally, his long ball success rate was equally impressive, with his long balls reaching their target more than half the time, which once again put him in the top 15% of players.

Reliable passing is where Wolves went wrong for the second goal they conceded against City, and having someone with Kiwior’s distribution in that back line will make mistakes like that less frequent.

Pereira’s defensive set-up will also cover for some of Kiwior’s shortcomings as the Wolves boss likes to play three centre-backs compared to Arteta, who plays two. This means that Kiwior will always have two players with him (as well as the wing-backs tucking in and midfielders dropping back) to help pick up his defensive load, allowing him to be the main distributor forward in the back three.

Based on this, when Kiwior ways up his transfer options, he may prioritise Wolves as it’s not only somewhere where he can play but where the system suits him.