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Former England star Stuart Pearce had to be rushed to a Canadian hospital after falling ill on board a flight from Las Vegas to Heathrow.

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Pearce fell ill on a flightWas travelling from Vegas to HeathrowCurrently recovering in Canadian hospitalFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Pearce was flying on a Virgin Atlantic flight from Las Vegas to Heathrow when he suffered a medical emergency. His partner and fellow passengers spotted him wincing in pain. The staff on board checked on him constantly before the flight's course was changed, and it made an emergency landing at St John’s in Canada. Medics rushed into the flight and the 62-year-old was then taken to a hospital where he is currently recovering.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWHAT HAS BEEN SAID

A source close to said: "He was clearly in a lot of pain. Stuart’s pains appeared to be getting worse as the flight continued. He was constantly shifting position in his seat to try and find some comfort. It was very clear the situation was serious. The crew and other passengers trained in first aid were marvellous. He received the best available care in the circumstances and was so grateful to everyone involved, and for the plane diverting to Canada."

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The former Nottingham Forest and Manchester City star, who now works as a pundit for talkSPORT, visited Vegas to watch his rugby league team Warrington Wolves play Wigan Warriors. He was due to speak at Christ The King Parish Centre in Coventry on Thursday but due to the unfortunate circumstances, he was replaced by ex-England teammate John Barnes.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR STAURT PEARCE?

While the England legend continues to recover at the Canadian hospital, the remaining 225 passengers were then flown to Heathrow, with their arrival delayed by six hours.

Brighton have now reportedly held face to face talks as they weigh up signing another young talent at the AMEX stadium in the January transfer window.

Brighton's big spending pays off

It was a step into the unknown for Brighton over the summer, as they spent heavily and appointed the Premier League’s youngest ever manager in the shape of 31-year-old Fabian Hurzeler.

The Seagulls splashed out almost £200m on nine new players, with the likes of Georginio Rutter, Matt O’Riley, Mats Weiffer and Yankuba Minteh all making the move to the south coast.

Player

Fee

Georginio Rutter

€46.70m

Yankuba Minteh

€35m

Mats Wieffer

€32m

Brajan Gruda

€31.5m

Ferdi Kadioglu

€30m

Matt O’Riley

€29.5m

Ibrahim Osman

€19.5m

Malick Yalcouye

€7m

Amario Cozier-Duberry

Free

That six of those nine featured in their seven most expensive signings of all time underlined the change in focus from Brighton, who have previously largely been known for plucking talents from relative obscurity and selling them on at massive profit.

However, now they appear to have built the spine of a side capable of regularly competing for the European places in the Premier League, and they have lost just twice so far this campaign, spurred on by Danny Welbeck’s impressive return to form.

Such form puts them just two points behind second placed Arsenal and ahead of Manchester City on goal difference before Wednesday’s fixtures, with a spot in next season’s European competitions a real possibility at the AMEX Stadium.

Despite spending the third most in the Premier League over the summer, Brighton are still not done though, and now a fresh report suggests that they are once again looking to bolster their ranks in January.

Brighton hold talks over Brazilian teen

That comes as a report from Brazil claims that Hurzeler’s side have undertaken face-to-face talks over a potential move to sign Brazilian teenage talent Matheus Gonçalves, who currently plays for Flamengo. The 19-year-old has made just 13 top flight appearances in Brazil this season, scoring two goals in the process, but that has not stopped interest forming.

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He has long been touted as a future star, with Talent Scout Jacek Kulig taking to X to hail his “incredible left foot” while he was still playing for his side’s U17 side. Now, RTI Esporte claim that Goncalves’ agent “met with representatives of Brighton” in Rio De Janeiro at the end of November, as the Seagulls explore a potential move for the teenager.

It is added that Flamengo are willing to let him leave in January and it is suggested that they will not hold out for his whopping £83m release clause in order to part ways with him. Meanwhile, Goncalves is “interested” in moving, but wants guarantees that he will not immediately be loaned out and will receive meaningful minutes.

That could well be a sticking point for any deal, with Brighton already loaning out Facundo Buonanotte this season and likely to also allow Evan Ferguson and Julio Enciso leave in the winter window due to a lack of gametime, while summer signing Brajan Gruda is still waiting for his first start, emphasising just how plentiful Hurzeler’s options in attack are.

Unless Goncalves changes his stance on a potential loan move, a deal in January seems unlikely.

ESPNcricinfo understands that Chahar, who suffered a quadricep tear against West Indies, could take several weeks to heal

Nagraj Gollapudi02-Mar-2022Chennai Super Kings, the defending champions of the IPL, have been dealt a massive blow ahead of the 2022 season, as their premier pacer Deepak Chahar is set to miss a major chunk of, if not the entire, tournament.ESPNcricinfo understands that Chahar, who suffered a quadricep tear in the third T20I against West Indies last month, is likely to take several weeks to heal, meaning he could miss the IPL which will be played between March 26 and May 29.It is understood that the Super Kings are awaiting a final assessment from the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru, where Chahar is currently undergoing his rehabilitation. Chahar, 29, was the second-most expensive buy at the 2022 player auction after the Super Kings clinched him for INR 14 crore (US$1.866 million). Chahar was one of the most fiercely contested bids at the auction on the back of his success as a bowling allrounder. In his last three ODIs, Chahar showed his batting exploits with match-turning knocks: 69* (against Sri Lanka), 54 (against South Africa) and 38 (against West Indies).At the auction, Delhi Capitals and Sunrisers Hyderabad engaged in a bidding race for the bowler with Rajasthan Royals and the Super Kings entering late. Chahar had played for the Super Kings from 2018 but was not retained before the auction. However, the Super Kings, whose auction strategy was focussed on retaining the core group from the previous years, raised the paddle for Chahar at the INR 11-crore mark. It was the first time Super Kings had shelled out more than INR 10 crore at any auction.Chahar’s first stint in the IPL was with Rising Pune Supergiants in 2016 when, as an uncapped fast bowler, he was bought at his base price of INR 10 lakhs. In the 2018 mega auction, the Super Kings bought him for INR 80 lakhs. It would prove to be a smart buy considering Chahar was the Super Kings’ lead bowler with 58 wickets from 58 games; 42 of those wickets came in the powerplay (first six overs), which is 15 more than the next best – New Zealand fast man Trent Boult with 27 – across these four seasons.Super Kings camp in SuratAs part of their plan to get used to the conditions in Mumbai and Pune, where the league phase will be played, the Super Kings have decided to have their preparatory camp in Surat, which is on the border of Gujarat and Maharashtra. The Super Kings chief executive officer Kasi Viswanathan said the camp will commence from March 8, including an initial five-day long quarantine. “With the Chennai pitch clay-based we decided to practise on wickets that will be similar to those in Mumbai and Pune. Also the travel will be easy,” Viswanathan said.The Super Kings captain MS Dhoni along with the support staff including assistant coach Laxmipathy Balaji have already landed in Surat on Wednesday. According to Viswanathan, the overseas coaching staff led by head coach Stephen Fleming will be arriving around March 12.While the IPL is yet to release the tournament schedule, being the winner in 2021, the Super Kings will play the tournament opener. Viswanathan said Super Kings are likely to leave for Mumbai by road on March 20

Tottenham Hotspur’s recent run of bad form was extended in Glasgow last night.

Ange Postecoglou returned to the city where he made his name in British football, but instead of facing his old club, Celtic, an intense Europa League clash with Rangers awaited him and his side.

The hosts looked the far better of the two teams, and while Dejan Kulusevski managed to salvage a point for the North Londoners, it was another display that has only cast more doubt on the Australian’s project.

41%

Possession

59%

1.49

Expected Goals

0.87

1

Goals

1

2

Big Chances

0

15

Total Shots

12

7

Corners

7

9

Fouls

9

379

Passes

563

There were poor performances all over the pitch for the visitors, but there were two that perhaps stood out, with one of them being Timo Werer.

Timo Werner's game vs Rangers

It would probably be fair to say that even going back to when he first arrived at the club midway through last season, Werner has been an underwhelming, boarding-on poor addition to Spurs’ squad, and last night showed that yet again.

The former Chelsea flop started off the left, and aside from a shot he sent miles over the bar early on, he offered pretty much no attacking threat whatsoever, which made life incredibly easy for Rangers’ right-hand side.

Moreover, the RB Leipzig-loanee seemed unable to track back either, so Destiny Udogie was left to deal with the marauding Václav Černý and James Tavernier all alone at times.

It was such a dire display that Postecoglou hooked him at half-time and told the press his performance “wasn’t acceptable” in his post-match comments, which makes the 3/10 match rating he received from the Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick look almost too kind.

While this all could sound hyperbolic, it’s entirely backed up by his statistics, as in 46 minutes of action, the Stuttgart-born dud amassed a combined expected goal plus assists figure of 0.09, failed to take a single shot on target, failed in 100% of his crosses and dribbles, lost 100% of his duels, lost the ball 18 times was unable to play a single key pass and only completed 69% of his passes.

Minutes

46′

Expected Goals

0.05

Expected Assists

0.04

Shots on Target

0

Dribbles (Complete)

3 (0)

Duels (Won)

5 (0)

Crosses (Accurate)

2 (0)

Lost Possession

16

Key Passes

1

Passing Accuracy

18/26 (69%)

In all, it was an abysmal showing from the 28-year-old, although one of his teammates was arguably as poor on the other flank.

Pedro Porro's game vs Rangers

Yes, the player we are talking about is Spanish right-back Pedro Porro, who put in yet another dreadful performance for Spurs last night.

Like his German teammate, the former Sporting CP ace was utterly hopeless going forward, with the only meaningful contribution he made being a shot midway through the second half, which was saved by Jack Butland.

However, the biggest issue with his game last night was the same problem that’s been singled out multiple times this year: his defensive fragility.

For example, he lost Hamza Igamane for the opening goal and was constantly being attacked as Rangers could sense he wasn’t up to the battle, making Kilpatrick’s 4/10 match rating feel more than justified.

Unsurprisingly, his statistics from the game were also poor, as in 93 minutes of action, the defensive “horror”, as dubbed by journalist Mitch Fretton, amassed an expected goal plus assists figure of 0.08, was dribbled past four times, lost six of nine duels, lost the ball 20 times, committed one foul, misplaced seven of eight long balls and two of three crosses.

Minutes

93′

Expected Goals

0.04

Expected Assists

0.04

Dribbled Past

4

Duels (Won)

9 (6)

Lost Possession

20

Fouls Committed

1

Long Balls (Accurate)

8 (1)

Crosses (Accurate)

3 (1)

Ultimately, it was a night to forget for the entire Spurs team, but Werner and Porro were particularly woeful and must be dropped for some time.

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Christian Pulisic made a massive difference for Milan once again as the American star scored the equalizer on Saturday against Como

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Pulisic sparks comeback win over ComoNets 15th goal of season in all competitionsBecomes first Milan player to hit that mark in first two seasons since IbrahimovicFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED?

Christian Pulisic's heroic efforts continued once again this season as the American sparked a 2-1 come-from-behind win for AC Milan over Como.

Milan went behind in the first half as the club endured a rough start amid a recent poor run of form. They conceded the opener 33 minutes on, with Lucas Da Cunha's fantastic finish giving underdogs Como the lead. They seemed to double that lead just moments into the second half, too, only for another Da Cunha finish to be ruled out due to an offside call.

Pulisic then stepped into the spotlight to score in the 53rd minute, helping Milan climb right back into the game with a half-volleyed finish of a Tijjani Reijnders assist. Reijnders ended up netting the second, winning Milan the match and earning the club three vital points.

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With the goal, Pulisic now has nine Serie A goals this season while taking his total in all competitions up to 15. That equals his goal tally from last season, despite the winger playing 12 fewer matches so far this season. By hitting that 15-goal mark, Pulisic has become the first player to score that many goals in his first two Milan seasons since Zlatan Ibrahimovic did so upon his arrival at the San Siro.

Still, it's been a tough period for Milan as a whole. With the win, though, Milan sit seventh in Serie A as they look to keep their European hopes alive. They've played one more game than those ahead of them, including Bologna, who sit sixth still holding a three-point lead. Juventus, meanwhile, still hold onto that fourth-place spot with 52 points, five more than Milan.

GettyWHAT NEXT FOR MILAN?

Milan now face a crucial stretch of their season, both in the league and in their domestic cup. After the international break, they'll visit Napoli on March 30 before hosting Inter in the Coppa Italia semifinal's first leg on April 2.

Nottingham, Leeds, Manchester and North London added to charity’s scope to boost participation

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Apr-2022The African-Caribbean Engagement (ACE) programme, the independent charity originally set up at Surrey to address a 75% decline in participation among black cricketers since 1995, has been granted ECB funding to become a nationwide project, with its impending expansion into four new regions.ACE, which was pioneered by Surrey’s director of women’s cricket, Ebony Rainford-Brent, in 2020, has since been launched in Birmingham and Bristol, and will now be rolled out in Nottingham, Manchester, Leeds and additional boroughs in north London. Its stated aim is to build grassroots cricket programmes, and develop talent pathways and talent ID systems to increase access for those from Black communities.”This is a really significant moment for ACE,” Rainford-Brent said. “Although we started small in south London, we always envisaged this programme was going to have a big national impact. To be in six cities and on both sides of the Thames in London within two years of existence proves that our model is starting to change the game.”ACE is focused on connecting the dots to help under-represented groups from the grassroots to the elite. We know this programme will help open up new pathways to do exactly that and are excited to partner with the teams at all these different counties to have an impact.”We’re really grateful to the ECB for this meaningful support, allowing us to build on our initial backing from Sport England and start taking ACE to the next level – a truly national organisation.”Clare Connor, Managing Director of England Women’s Cricket, added: “The team at ACE are doing brilliant work creating opportunities for young people from Black communities to play cricket and develop their talent.”After their early impact in south London, Bristol and Birmingham, we are really excited to be helping ACE to increase access to cricket in more urban centres across the country. We know that targeted opportunities and support are vitally important in making cricket a game for everyone and ensuring that every young cricketer can fulfil their potential.”The ECB will also be funding a National Operations Manager role at ACE to support the delivery of the expansion plans, with an estimated 6,000 young people having already benefited from the opportunities presented through its existing community hubs, academy, elite programme, trials and schools’ sessions.Related

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In a bid to tackle the barriers to progression for cricketers from diverse backgrounds, the ECB added that work was ongoing to “develop individual plans tailored to the specific circumstances and challenges of each county”. This will be informed by research undertaken by Tom Brown at Birmingham City University, with the support of the ECB, Warwickshire CCC and Essex CCC.The expansion of the ACE programme comes as part of a wider update on the ECB’s 12-point action plan to tackle discrimination within the English game, which was announced in November in response to the allegations of institutional racism at Yorkshire, and amid wider criticism of the board’s handling of the issue during their appearances at the DCMS select committee hearing.In addition, the ECB has announced immediate steps to expand its Community Talent Champion programme, with the offer of more than 3,000 bursaries to help more those from underrepresented groups to become cricket coaches or develop their skills, and the provision of £1 million of financial support for young people in the talent pathway.Other key areas of the action plan include a thorough review of dressing room culture, for which EY Lane4 – an organisation founded by Olympic gold medallist Adrian Moorhouse – has been appointed to oversee a process that will run across the 2022 season, for the full men’s and women’s professional game, with findings and recommendations to be reported in September.

Former Australia allrounder involved in fatal accident in Northern Queensland

ESPNcricinfo staff14-May-2022Andrew Symonds, the former Australian allrounder who played in 26 Tests and 198 ODIs in an international career spanning from 1998 through 2009, has died in a car accident in Queensland.Symonds was 46 and was involved in an accident outside Townsville where he lived in retirement.Related

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In a statement, Queensland police said: “Police are investigating a single-vehicle crash in Hervey Range, around 50 kilometres from Townsville that’s taken the life of a 46-year-old man last night.”Early information indicates, shortly after 11pm the car was being driven on Hervey Range Road, near Alice River Bridge when it left the roadway and rolled.”Emergency services attempted to revive the 46-year-old driver and sole occupant, however, he died of his injuries.”Symonds was a two-time World Cup winner during both of Australia’s undefeated title runs in 2003 and 2007 as well as a key member of the Test side in the mid-2000s. His death is the third one of an Australian cricketer in 2022, following the passing of Shane Warne and Rodney Marsh in the first week of March.

Think of your most loyal, fun, loving friend who would do anything for you. That’s Roy

— Adam Gilchrist (@gilly381) May 15, 2022

“Australian cricket has lost another of its very best,” Cricket Australia chairman Lachlan Henderson said. “Andrew was a generational talent who was instrumental in Australia’s success at World Cups and as part of Queensland’s rich cricket history.”He was a cult figure to many who was treasured by his fans and friends. On behalf of Australian cricket our deepest sympathies are with Andrew’s family, team-mates, and friends.”Queensland Cricket chair Chris Simpson, who played alongside Symonds at domestic level, said: “On behalf of Queensland Cricket, we express our deepest sympathies to his family and will do whatever we can to assist them”It is a shattering loss to those nearest to him, and his wide circle of friends which extend to all corners of the cricketing world.””His untimely passing will also resonate deeply with the many fans who thrilled to his efforts with bat, ball and in the field. He stood out for his skill, courage and determination, and the fans who saw him at his best will never forget his impact on a game.””We are all hurting and will miss him greatly. His former teammates will remember his loyalty to the playing group and recall the fun times with great fondness, and sorrow that he is gone.”Symonds was the ultimate allrounder – a fearsome striker of a cricket ball, a bowler capable of brisk medium pace and offspin plus one of the greatest fielders in the game.Born in Birmingham, he could have played for England but turned down a call-up to the England A team in 1995. His first Australia selection, to the ODI side, came in 1998 but for a long time it appeared he would not make the most of his huge talent.

This is so devastating
Roy was So much fun to be around
Our Thoughts are with Symonds family #RIPRoy

— Damien Fleming (@bowlologist) May 14, 2022

That changed in spectacular fashion in Australia’s opening match of the 2003 World Cup when he walked in with Australia 86 for 4 against Pakistan and crunched 143 off 125 balls. He would go on to make five more ODI hundreds.His Test debut came in 2004 and while there were a couple of half-centuries in the early matches, it was the Boxing Day Test against England in 2006-07 that provided the breakthrough when he made a blistering 156.He scored a career-best 162 against India at Sydney in 2008 in a match that would also become one of his most controversial moments of his career when he was involved in the lengthy race row with Harbhajan Singh.Off-field issues were never too far away for Symonds. In 2005 he was suspended, turning up drunk ahead of what became Australia’s historic loss to Bangladesh at Cardiff and his international career was brought to a close by further run-ins including going fishing in Darwin when he should have been at a team meeting in 2008. A breaking of team drinking rules led to his exit from the squad in England on the eve of the 2009 T20 World Cup and his Cricket Australia contract was soon cancelled.With his career having met the start of the T20 era – he struck a 34-ball hundred for Kent in 2004 and earned USD1.35 million at the first IPL auction in 2008 – he became a traveling T20 player with spells at Queensland, Deccan Chargers and Surrey before retiring in 2012. He later moved into the media and was a regular in the commentary box in Australia.At Kent, where Symonds played 49 first-class matches, 62 List A games and ten T20s between 1999 and 2004, he was voted the Spitfires’ greatest overseas player in 2020.Simon Philip, the Kent Cricket chair, said in a statement, “Andrew Symonds remains one of the most popular Kent players of the modern era. He contributed greatly to the Club across all three formats and his rare talent left many extraordinary memories with those who saw him play.”David Fulton, who skippered Symonds during his time at Kent, said, “He was a brilliant, combative cricketer who could win a game with bat, ball, in the field or with his sheer will to win and presence on the field. Simply, a fantastic teammate.”

Wrexham have posted record turnover figures of £26.7 million ($34m), with the club’s documentary series considered to have helped that revenue spike.

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Red Dragons promoted out of League Two in 2024Documentary attracts commercial partnersMore big money being spent in ambitious projectFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Hollywood co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElenney have seen financial figures in North Wales rocket by 155 per cent for the year ending June 2024. The history books are said to have been rewritten when it comes to the money generated by a team that successfully secured promotion out of League Two in 2023-24.

AdvertisementGetty Images EntertainmentTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Wrexham are a rather unique case in the English Football League, with A-list investors attracting global attention. Cameras have been welcomed behind the scenes at SToK Racecourse, with ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ opening up a window to the world.

DID YOU KNOW?

That series, with is Emmy Award-winning, has helped to attract sponsors such as United Airlines and HP, allowing commercial revenue to surge from £1.9m to £13.2m. Wrexham have, however, still posted losses of £2.7m over the 12-month accountancy period – which is down from £5.1m, but points at more work needing to be done in order for books to be balanced.

Getty ImagesWHAT WREXHAM SAID

Wrexham’s accounts overview said: “The 2023/24 season was one that brought success on the pitch for the men's team who achieved promotion from EFL League Two, having achieved promotion from the National League the season before.

“Following the early announcement that the Welcome to Wrexham documentary would be continued for a third series to cover the events on and off the pitch for the 2023/24 season, this enabled the club to achieve further commercial growth.

“The documentary, while not delivering any direct financial return for the club, provides us with a marketing platform that can be monetised through the delivery of TV exposure for our partners and is our 'point of difference.”

Everton once again frustrated a team near the top of the Premier League this weekend as Chelsea became the latest title chaser to fail to find the back of the net against a dogged Toffees outfit.

This isn’t even Everton’s first victim when it comes to high-flying teams from London either, as Sean Dyche’s men travelled to Arsenal last time out and shut up shop at the Emirates Stadium in a very similar fashion, before then getting under Chelsea’s skin back on their own turf.

Dyche would have loved the resilience on display from his side, with Enzo Maresca left to curse how well-drilled the hosts were defensively at the full-time whistle.

Everton's defensive heroics vs Chelsea

Whilst the likes of Leicester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers have shipped goals for fun near the foot of the league, leaking 37 and 40 strikes respectively, the constantly switched-on Toffees have only given up 21.

Jordan Pickford is already up to seven clean sheets for the season as his reputation for being a dependable option between the sticks only increases in strength, with his showing against the unusually goal-shy Blues seeing him make four saves, which included an expert denial of Nicolas Jackson from point-blank range during the first 45 minutes.

Moreover, the likes of Jarrad Branthwaite and Vitaliy Mykolenko stood out across the back four, with the Ukranian full-back lively throughout by winning seven duels, whilst his partner in crime in Branthwaite won 100% of his own duels alongside registering four tackles.

Dyche’s side would have definitely trudged off at the end happier with the final scoreline, but Dominic Calvert-Lewin would have been left frustrated by his individual showing once more regardless of the points being shared, as another league game without a goal rudely greeted him.

Calvert-Lewin's performance in numbers

Not finding the back of the net in the Premier League since the middle of September, it’s fair to say Calvert-Lewin isn’t loving his football at the moment.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

In truth, this hasn’t just been a sharp decline in form that’s come out of nowhere this campaign, with his numbers gradually dwindling over the years amidst recurring injury problems.

24/25

16

2

23/24

32

7

22/23

17

2

21/22

17

5

20/21

33

16

The Sheffield-born striker will desperately want to reach his 2020-21 peak again, but even as he is now relatively injury-free, the 27-year-old looks completely short of confidence.

That was definitely the case against Maresca’s visitors, as the anonymous Everton number nine failed to register a single shot all game before being hooked off the pitch on the 73rd-minute mark.

Other worrying numbers from the goalless affair saw Calvert-Lewin complete just seven accurate passes from his minimal 24 touches of the ball (fewer than Pickford’s 45), alongside only winning two of his 11 duels on the day, meaning he lost 81% of his duels whilst Chelsea number four Tosin Adarabioyo showed off his prowess in the air.

Dyche could be prepared to roll the dice and drop his misfiring striker for the trip to Manchester City on Boxing Day, therefore, with Beto perhaps preferred as the lone attacker at the Etihad.

That might well be a personnel switch that catches a lacklustre Man City off-guard, with Liverpool Echo journalist Paul Wheelock handing out a mediocre 6/10 rating to Calvert-Lewin after the dust had settled on the uneventful contest, stating that he had ‘no chance’ of breaking his goal drought.

An absolute stalwart of Everton XIs over recent years when fit, Dyche will just want his team to be more of a threat going forward in games to come, which could result in Calvert-Lewin having to become more familiar with a spot on the substitutes bench.

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ByBen Browning Dec 18, 2024

The visitors’ spinners were handled with ease in Colombo leaving Aaron Finch with issues to ponder

Andrew McGlashan20-Jun-2022Big PictureOther than the opening T20I which was a very one-sided affair, Sri Lanka have heaped the pressure on Australia during this tour. They nearly stole a low-scoring clash in the second T20I, thrillingly won the third game off the bat of captain Dasun Shanaka, were only beaten by a Glenn Maxwell special at the start of the one-dayers and have now taken back-to-back ODIs against Australia at home* for the first time in 20 years to stand on the cusp of a series victory.It was a superb run-chase on Sunday night in Colombo when they made what had looked a strong total prove under par. It shone a harsh light on Australia’s spin bowling – which, admittedly, is missing the first-choice pair of Adam Zampa and Ashton Agar – and raised questions about the allrounder-heavy balance of the side.However, with these matches not carrying any Super League points Australia do have one eye on the upcoming Test series, especially when it comes to their all-format fast bowlers. Barely a day has gone by on this tour without an injury being added to the list and there will have been some concern when Maxwell grabbed at his left leg after a piece of fielding.Related

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Head feeling 'sharp' ahead of Sri Lanka Test challenge

Significantly for Sri Lanka they have won the last two matches without their main weapon Wanindu Hasaranga who had appeared the major threat to Australia. Instead the 19-year-old Dunith Wellalage has shown outstanding composure in his first international series and legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay caused plenty of problems in the third game with sharp turn.The starring role in the record chase in Colombo, though, went to Pathum Nissanka, who played the innings of his short career with a superbly-paced 137, as he battled the oppressive heat which forced Kusal Mendis to retire hurt. It was a statement innings from a young player who should have a huge role to play in Sri Lanka’s future.Recent formSri Lanka WWLWL (last five matches, most recent first)
Australia LLWLLDavid Warner is yet to show his best with the bat in this series•AFPIn the spotlightNiroshan Dickwella’s return livened up proceedings in his first ODI for nearly a year. He was his usual talkative self behind the stumps – reading one play perfectly when he predicted Alex Carey would come down the pitch, then to see him send the ball straight for six – and though his innings did not develop from a promising position, the early flurry of boundaries played a part in making Sri Lanka believe they could succeed in a big chase. However, having played just two ODIs in the last three years he’ll want to make the most of every chance he gets.David Warner has taken a couple of blinding catches in the outfield during this series but has not quite got going with the bat. Trapped lbw by Maheesh Theekshana in the first game, he was then cut off when looking good for 37 in the second and top-edged a pull off the impressive Dushmantha Chameera in the third. With the series on the line Australia could do with him producing a dominant display.Team newsMendis has recovered from the cramps that forced him to retire and is available for the fourth match so there would not appear a need for Sri Lanka to change a winning team unless Danushka Gunathilaka passes a late fitness test. Hasaranga’s groin injury is expected to keep him sidelined.Sri Lanka (possible) 1 Niroshan Dickwella (wk), 2 Pathum Nissanka, 3 Kusal Mendis, 4 Dhananjaya de Silva, 5 Charith Asalanka, 6 Dasun Shanaka, 7 Chamika Karunaratne, 8 Dunith Wellalage, 9 Jeffrey Vandersay, 10 Dushmantha Chameera, 11 Maheesh TheekshanaThe balance of the attack is the big question for Australia. Can they find a space for Mitchell Swepson and do they have the confidence in him? Mitchell Starc has yet to play in the series after his cut finger while Pat Cummins may be protected ahead of the Tests; speaking of which Josh Hazlewood could be due a rest too having played every game on tour.Australia (possible) 1 David Warner, 2 Aaron Finch (capt), 3 Mitchell Marsh, 4 Marnus Labuschagne, 5 Alex Carey (wk), 6 Travis Head, 7 Glenn Maxwell, 8 Cameron Green/Mitchell Swepson, 9 Jhye Richardson, 10 Matt Kuhnemann, 11 Josh Hazlewood/Mitchell StarcPitch and conditionsThe Colombo pitch did not live up to Aaron Finch’s pre-match thoughts of becoming trickier to bat on, instead skidding on nicely under lights with dew also playing a bit of a role. Both sides may, therefore, be keen to chase.Stats and trivia The combined figures of Sri Lanka’s spinners in the third game were 36-0-177-5. In comparison Australia’s went for 25-0-163-1 Sri Lanka’s last bilateral ODI series win over Australia came in 2010.*The statistic was corrected to make reference to home matches