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The three-match ODI series kicks off in Kimberley, with the hosts taking on a rejuvenated Zimbabwe side boosted by the return of three key players

The Preview by Liam Brickhill29-Sep-2018

JP Duminy tucks one fine•AFP/Getty

Big PictureJohannesburg is closer to Harare than it is to Cape Town, but it’s been eight years since Zimbabwe last played an ODI in South Africa. The cricketing gap is far wider than the geographical one between these two teams, and the financial realities of modern cricket add a further constraint. A series against Zimbabwe doesn’t make much money or fill grounds, and so the limited-overs games over the next two weeks will be played on some of South Africa’s further-flung ovals.Starting with Kimberley, a city built on old mining money in the parched north-west. Zimbabwe coach Lalchand Rajput thinks his team are diamonds in the rough, but it is South Africa who will likely shine on the day. Ahead of Zimbabwe in every discipline, each member of their squad will be eyeing a place in South Africa’s World Cup touring party. South Africa only play 16 ODIs between now and their World Cup opener in May. Every match counts as a chance to make a good impression, and with Faf du Plessis and Hashim Amla injured, and Quinton de Kock and David Miller rested, these ODIs offer a particularly crucial opportunity to South Africa’s batting hopefuls. No quarter will be given.There will be no let-up with the ball, either. The pitch in Kimberley tends to be as flat and hard as the desiccated country around it, but the home attack bristles with pedigree and before the series, South Africa coach Ottis Gibson joked about his bowlers possibly doing too good a job to allow the batsmen to be tested in doing theirs. Kagiso Rabada, Dale Steyn and Lungi Ngidi present a fearsome prospect, and if the Zimbabweans can somehow sustain the new-ball barrage, the likes of Imran Tahir and Tabraiz Shamsi await them with the old.Zimbabwe, at least, will not have to face all five in the same game, and there’s a healthy competition for limited spaces in South Africa’s attack. Ngidi seemed to develop particularly quickly during South Africa’s tour of Sri Lanka, taking 10 wickets at 20.10, and the returning Steyn is relishing the competitive dynamic in South Africa’s fast bowling stable.Their top order is no less hungry. Dean Elgar has made no secret of his one-day ambitions, and a modest Zimbabwean attack could make his audition a smooth one. Gibson sees Elgar as a like-for-like replacement for Amla, and is also eager to see if Christiaan Jonker can transfer his T20 skills as Miller has. Heinrich Klaasen will be hoping he can complicate de Kock’s eventual return, while Reeza Hendricks has the opportunity to show that his debut hundred against Sri Lanka was no fluke. Khaya Zondo, too, scored a brilliant century against Australia A a month ago and is pushing for a recall.Rajput believes his team will provide a hostile testing ground for South Africa’s batting and bowling options, and the Zimbabweans will be buoyed by the return of several seniors from a hiatus prompted by unpaid salaries. Brendan Taylor, Sean Williams and Craig Ervine are back, but Zimbabwe are still without Graeme Cremer’s tidy legspin and will surely miss the talismanic Sikandar Raza. All of the above were sorely missed on their last ODI outing, when the depleted Zimbabweans were badly exposed and Pakistan romped to a 5-0 win.While Zimbabwe are looking to put that disaster well behind them, South Africa’s eyes are already cast firmly forward to the World Cup next year. Their preparations start now.Form guideSouth Africa LLWWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Zimbabwe LLLLLSweeps were productive for Brendan Taylor•AFP

In the spotlightDale Steyn’s white-ball return is a vital cog in South Africa’s World Cup plans. Steyn is relishing the challenge of fighting for his place in the one-day starting XI, and a workout against Zimbabwe could be just the thing to get him primed for the trip to Australia in November.Brendan Taylor is back in Zimbabwe’s middle order, and will be eager to show his team just what they were missing during his mid-year hiatus. Taylor has enjoyed himself against past South African attacks, scoring his career-best 145* here in 2010, and is averaging 45.60 with the bat over the last calendar year. Raza’s absence will make his contributions all the more crucial.Team newsInjuries mean South Africa go into this series missing some big names in their top order, but their bowling is at full strength and will still pack a punch. Gibson is fond of his all-round options, so Wiaan Mulder and Andile Phehlukwayo should complete the attack. With Hendricks likely to play at his home ground, Zondo may be the batsman to miss out.South Africa (possible): 1 Dean Elgar, 2 Aiden Markram, 3 Reeza Hendricks, 4 JP Duminy (capt), 5 Heinrich Klaasen (wk), 6 Christiaan Jonker, 7 Wiaan Mulder, 8 Andile Phehlukwayo, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Dale Steyn, 11 Imran TahirZimbabwe’s returning trio should slot straight back into their middle order, while Rajput may well want the ballast of Elton Chigumbura’s experience to add batting strength to the lower-middle order. Peter Moor and Ryan Murray will go head to head for the wicketkeeping gloves. While Moor’s experience will count for plenty, Murray is coming off a good effort at the Africa T20, where he averaged 51.Zimbabwe (possible): 1 Solomon Mire, 2 Hamilton Masakadza (capt), 3 Craig Ervine, 4 Brendan Taylor, 5 Sean Williams, 6 Peter Moor/Ryan Murray (wk), 7 Elton Chigumbura, 8 Wellington Masakadza, 9 Kyle Jarvis, 10 Tendai Chatara, 11 Richard Ngarava.Pitch and conditionsIt’s going to be a warm day in Kimberley, but there should be a bit of a breeze to keep things bearable. There tend to be runs on offer in Kimberley, and the last three ODIs played here saw four top-order hundreds.Stats and trivia’South Africa have won 35 of the 38 ODIs they have played against Zimbabwe, with Zimbabwe’s last win coming 18 years ago in a thrilling, last-ball day-nighter at Kingsmead. Zimbabwe have played only one ODI in Kimberley, against England 18 years ago. Mark Ealham’s medium pace brought him a record five lbw dismissals, and England won by eight wickets.Quotes”The first couple of games in Sri Lanka were exactly the way we want to approach the 50-over format.”
“We have had a very good preparatory camp for two months and when you prepare well normally results will be on your side.”

Former USYNT star Alex Loera missed Bay FC's 2-1 defeat to the Washington Spirit due to an "internal matter", a week after being made captain.

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• Loera absent due to internal matter
• No further information revealed
• Bay lost 2-1

• USA Today Sports
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Loera was announced as Bay FC's captain last week but a new twist saw her left out of the squad altogether for the club's defeat to Washington Spirit. Loera, per Mercury News, missed the game due to an "internal club matter" and coach Albertin Montoya refused to elaborate further.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Loera, who was previously a United States Under-23 international, made her feelings known about moving to Bay in October, claiming that she did not know she would be traded from KC Current, and revealing that the move was "incredibly disheartening", as she had made it clear she wanted to stay. She actually became Bay FC's first-ever player, as they paid $175,000 for her.

• WHAT MONTOYA SAID

  Montoya said after the defeat: “It’s just unfortunate. That’s another thing teams always have to work on. We’re a little bit new and we have to work on final moments and game management so we can see (the game) out. A point in Washington would’ve been a great result.

  “But we played a very good game today, as far as the brand of football we want to play. That’s a huge positive for us.”

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Bay FC play Houston Dash next Sunday. It remains to be seen if Loera will be involved, but her team will be eager to get back to winning ways after dropping to sixth in the NWSL table.

James McClean has slammed the “embarrassing” celebrations of “wally” Jean Belehouan following Wrexham’s disappointing defeat to Tranmere.

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Red Dragons came unstuck on home soilLocal rivals revelled in their successIrishman stuck on sidelines serving a banGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

The Red Dragons saw their bid for automatic promotion out of League Two suffer another untimely blow when slipping to a 1-0 derby date reversal at the hands of local rivals from the Wirral. Tranmere are still clinging to hopes of staging a late surge into the play-off places, leading to them celebrating wildly at SToK Racecourse.

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Tempers threatened to boil over at the final whistle, as players from both sides tangled on the field at full-time, with Rovers defender Belehouan firing up the travelling support despite failing to make it onto the field across 90 minutes of intriguing fourth-tier action.

WHAT MCCLEAN SAID

McClean was another that saw no game time, as he serves a suspension for collecting 10 yellow cards, and the Irishman has called out Belehouan for celebrating as if Tranmere had won the league. He posted on Instagram: “Absolute wally, not sure what’s more embarrassing, him giving it large whilst being an unused sub during the game or the fact that he was an unused sub for them.”

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WHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

Wrexham remain third in the League Two standings, level on points with second-placed Stockport and five adrift of leaders Mansfield, but only goal difference is keeping them above MK Dons while Barrow in sixth are only six points adrift of Phil Parkinson’s side with eight games left to take in.

Sammy and Chris Gayle have asked that everyone move on from the Newlands ball-tampering controversy and let Smith and David Warner get on with their lives

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Jun-20180:32

Steven Smith returns to cricket

Darren Sammy has asked the media to move on from the Newlands ball-tampering controversy and get off Steven Smith’s back. Sammy is set to captain Smith on Thursday night, when they team up for Toronto Nationals against Vancouver Knights in the inaugural match of Global T20 Canada.Deposed Australia captain Smith and his erstwhile deputy David Warner are serving 12-month suspensions from international and state cricket and the Big Bash League for their role in the controversy. They are both set to play in Global T20 Canada, with Warner part of Winnipeg Hawks’ roster.Smith has been the subject of heightened media attention in Australia in recent weeks. On Tuesday, a photograph of Smith drinking a beer in a New York pub was splashed over the newspapers, with one headline saying, “Disgraced Smith a sad sight in New York”. At a media interaction on Wednesday night, Sammy mentioned this story and said it wasn’t right to “keep kicking a man when he’s down”.”As a Christian, you commit sins, there are punishments for your sins. [It] doesn’t mean everything is okay, but there’s always forgiveness after you’ve committed your sins and paid the price, and you move on. Like we said, they’ve done that. They’ve missed out on IPL, they’ve been sacked and all that stuff, but at the end of the day life goes on.”It’s truly up to you guys (the media). I saw an article, recently, about something in New York. That’s not called for. You’ve made your point. I think, as sportsmen, we want to do the right things, set the example for the next generation. We will make mistakes, but it doesn’t mean you’ve got to keep kicking a man when he’s down. That’s not the humane way to do things, and I think there’s a right to punish but there’s also a right to forgive and move on.”Chris Gayle, who will captain Vancouver Knights in Global T20 Canada, had tweeted his thoughts on the punishments handed out to Smith and Warner in the wake of the ball-tampering scandal, saying he felt a one-year suspension was “harsh”. He said he did not want to comment on it again, but asked that the two players be allowed to “go on with their lives”.”I’m not diverting to the situation,” Gayle said. “I’ve actually tweeted what I had to say about the situation, and decided I wasn’t going to comment on it again, just let the two guys be free.”They’ve already paid a penalty for what they’ve done, and just for them to go on with their lives and have some fun, just like any other cricketer, to fulfill and work for the family, and they can actually provide on the table for them. People make mistakes, you have to give people a chance, and everybody should have to try on from this situation, and rest it to the grave.”

عبّر لاعب نادي طرابزون سبور التركي، محمود حسن تريزيجيه، عن دعمه الكامل للمنتخب الأولمبي المصري في رحلته بدورة الألعاب الأولمبية بباريس 2024، وذلك بعد تأكيد غيابه الرسمي عن المشاركة في البطولة.

وأعلن الاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم عن استبعاد تريزيجيه من قائمة المنتخب الأولمبي تحت 23 سنة، بسبب رفض ناديه التركي السماح له بالمشاركة، بعد أن كان المدرب البرازيلي روجيرو ميكالي قد ضمّه إلى قائمة الفراعنة الصغار.

طالع أيضًا | “الحلم للجميع”.. ميكالي يوضح حظوظ منتخب مصر في أولمبياد باريس 2024

وعلى الرغم من عدم قدرته على التواجد مع زملائه في الملعب، حرص تريزيجيه على التعبير عن مشاعره، وكتب عبر حسابه الرسمي بمنصة “أكس”: “بالتوفيق لمنتخب مصر الأولمبي في أولمبياد باريس 2024، سعيد بثقة الجهاز الفني للمنتخب، وكنت أتمنى المشاركة في هذا المحفل الكبير وتمثيل منتخب بلدي”.

وبرر نادي طرابزون التركي قراره، باحتياجه لخدمات اللاعب خلال المشاركة في منافسات بطولة الدوري الأوروبي.

الجدير بالذكر، أن منتخب مصر الأولمبي قد اقتنص بطاقة التأهل لأولمبياد باريس بعد حصد الميدالية الفضية في منافسات كأس أمم إفريقيا تحت 23 سنة الماضية، التي أقيمت في المغرب.

Chelsea are now interested in signing a Premier League striker in the January transfer window, according to journalist Paul Brown.

Who are Chelsea signing in January?

Although Chelsea signed Nicolas Jackson in the summer transfer window, joining from Villarreal in a £32m deal, they are already being linked with other strikers ahead of the January transfer window, with Victor Osimhen being named as a key target.

The Napoli striker is "top of the list" of new strikers, but a move would "not seem possible in January", according to transfer insider Dean Jones, meaning the Blues may have to turn their attentions elsewhere to replace Jackson, who has missed six "big chances" in five top flight games so far.

Ollie Watkins is named as a potential target by Jones, if Aston Villa have not nailed him down to a new contract by the January transfer window, with Mauricio Pochettino open to refreshing his attacking options in 2024, and the manager has another Premier League player in mind.

In an interview with GiveMeSport, Brown has now claimed that Ivan Toney will be of interest to Chelsea this winter, at which point his ban will have ended after admitting to 232 breaches of the Football Association's betting rules.

The journalist said: "It's clear that Chelsea need some proven firepower in the Premier League because it's not currently working. They're creating chances, but they don't really have a proper finisher or someone that you can really rely on and be guaranteed to get 20 to 30 goals a season. Ivan Toney is probably in that bracket, so I think he would certainly be of interest to Chelsea and I think he'd be a great signing."

How many goals has Ivan Toney scored for Brentford?

Toney has a very solid record in front of goal for the Bees, finding the back of the net 68 times in 124 appearances, and his 2022-23 campaign was no doubt his most impressive yet, proving himself as one of the top flight's best strikers.

The England international finished the season on 20 goals, the third-highest of any player in the Premier League, and he was lauded as "remarkable" by manager Thomas Frank off the back of scoring in a 2-1 win against Nottingham Forest in April.

It was not the first time Frank has singled out the 27-year-old for praise, previously saying: "He is a special footballer, I think his character is unique in terms of leadership and driving his team. His link-up play and the way he sees his team-mates around in terms of combinations and then his ability to score goals. He is an all-round football player."

It is still very early days in the Premier League season, but Chelsea have made a disappointing start, collecting just five points from their opening five games, and failing to find the back of the net against AFC Bournemouth at the weekend.

If the Blues continue to struggle in front of goal, Pochettino will have to think about entering the market for a striker in January, and Toney could be the perfect signing, given that he is already proven at Premier League level.

Chelsea and Aston Villa have been facing off against one another for well over 100 years now, with their first encounter coming all the way back in 1903 – a league game that ended 0-0.

Football FanCast has everything you need to know as the two teams prepare to meet once again in the Premier League.

We may still be relatively early on in the league season at the moment, but given that Chelsea have already played six games in all competitions and Villa seven, we can start to take their early form into account when looking forward to upcoming fixtures.

For the Blues, the form book does not make for pretty reading. One win in five in the league, a goal difference of zero and just four points above the drop zone, Mauricio Pochettino's men should be going into a home game full of confidence, but that couldn't be further from the case at the moment.

For their part, Villa have corrected what was a horror start away to Newcastle United and have now won three games in the league, which leaves them just four points off of top four. Unai Emery looks to have got the team clicking again and should be relishing the opportunity to play the Blues in their current guise.

Chelsea vs Aston Villa: What's their head-to-head record?

Including their initial meeting in 1907, Chelsea and Aston Villa have played one another a staggering 162 times over the ensuing 116 years.

For such a staple fixture in English football, it has remained remarkably even over the years, with Chelsea only just ever so slightly edging it, coming away with a win on 66 occasions compared to Villa's 60 wins.

That said, there have been periods of dominance for both teams in this tie, with the Villans generally getting the better of their West London opponents in the early years and vice versa since the 1990s.

Chelsea Wins

66

Draws

35

Aston Villa Wins

60

Chelsea vs Aston Villa: What's their record at Stamford Bridge?

Well, while the overall scorecard on this fixture shows a generally even affair between the sides, that certainly isn't the case when the games have taken place at Stamford Bridge.

At home, Chelsea have been by far the more dominant side – as you'd expect them to be – coming away with 42 wins from 80 games, or a win rate of 52.5%.

On the other hand, Villa have only managed to win 23 of their games in West London, giving them a win rate of just 28.75%.

Draws have been even less common, with the points being shared just 15 times – or 18.75% of the time.

Chelsea Wins

42

Draws

15

Aston Villa

23

Chelsea vs Aston Villa: What's their record at Villa Park?

They may have a poor record away from home, but when they're playing host, Villa have a much better time of it against the Blues.

Out of the 78 games between the two sides that have taken place in the West Midlands, the hosts have emerged with maximum points 36 times, giving them a win rate of 46.1%.

For their part, Chelsea have an ever so slightly worse away record than their Claret and Blue opponents, winning 22 games on the road, giving them a win rate of 28.2% – we did say ever so slightly.

Draws are a more typical result in Birmingham as well, with 20 of the 78 games ending with the points shared.

Chelsea Wins

22

Draws

20

Aston Villa Wins

36

Chelsea vs Aston Villa: What's their record at neutral grounds?

The two sides have met on neutral ground three times over the years, with all three coming in the FA Cup.

The first meeting occurred in 1920 at Bramall Lane for an FA Cup semi-final. The game was won 3-1 by Villa, who went on to face and beat Huddersfield Town in the final a month later.

The second encounter was in the 2000 FA Cup final, held at the old Wembley. The game was a nervy affair, but one that Chelsea eventually won thanks to a single goal in the 73rd minute from Roberto Di Matteo.

The most recent meeting was again in an FA Cup semi-final, this time in April 2010. Unlike the final a decade earlier, this was an altogether more straightforward affair for the Blues as goals from Didier Drogba, Florent Malouda, and Frank Lampard secured them their spot in the showpiece event a month later – a game they would win 1-0.

Chelsea Wins

2

Draws

0

Aston Villa Wins

1

Chelsea vs Aston Villa: Which team has scored more goals?

For as balanced as everything else has been between these two sides, it shouldn't be a surprise that even their goal scoring record in this fixture is relatively balanced as well.

In total, there have been 481 goals in the 162 games that the two sides have played against one another, giving fans a pretty impressive ratio of 2.96 goals per game for over a century.

Chelsea have scored slightly more than Villa with 252 – or 1.55 per game – but the Villans have still scored an impressive 229 – 1.41 per game.

Chelsea Goals

252

Aston Villa Goals

229

Chelsea vs Aston Villa: What happened in last season's fixtures?

Both teams came away with a win from this fixture last season; interestingly, both wins went to the away team in both fixtures.

The first game took place in October and was one of then-manager Graham Potter's first games in charge of Chelsea. The Blues went to Villa Park off the back of four wins on the bounce, form which showed in the game as Mason Mount scored two to extend their winning run.

Villa would get revenge when they travelled to West London in April under the guidance of new boss Emery. Goals from Ollie Watkins and John McGinn were enough to hand the Villans all three points and a 2-0 win.

Chelsea vs Aston Villa: What is Chelsea's biggest win?

Labelling Chelsea's win over Villa in December 2012 'big' might be a big understatement. In all, the Blues put eight past their Birmingham opponents at Stamford Bridge while keeping a clean sheet of their own.

The scoring was opened by the much-maligned Fernando Torres, who got on the end of a cross from Cesar Azpilicuta to head Chelsea in front within three minutes. Defenders David Luiz and Branislav Ivanovic added two more to take the Blues into the break, three goals to the good.

Things went from bad to worse for the Villans in the second half; from the 60th minute to the 90th, they conceded another five goals. The scorers of the other goals were Frank Lampard, Eden Hazard, Oscar, and Ramires, who ended the game with a brace.

Unfortunately for the visitors, this was the second time they suffered such a capitulation away to Chelsea within as many years, after their 7-1 defeat at the Bridge in March 2010.

Chelsea vs Aston Villa: What is Aston Villa's biggest win?

While the Blues might have put Villa to the sword more recently, it was the Claret and Blue that were the first ones to emerge from this fixture as runaway victors.

In April 1952, Villa played Chelsea off the park at Villa Park, putting seven past Bill Robertson in goal and only conceding one in the process.

The scoring was opened by Johnny Dixon before Colin Gibson added a double, Billy Goffin scored a hat-trick, and Davy Walsh finished things off with one.

Chelsea vs Aston Villa: What are the recent results?

The last ten games in this fixture have largely seen Chelsea dominate Villa, winning seven and drawing one. That said, Emery's men emerged victorious last time out when they beat Chelsea 2-0 at the Bridge.

However, before last season, the last time Villa managed to beat Chelsea in West London was back in 2011 and 2002 before that – so it hasn't been a happy hunting ground for the Claret and Blue.

Can Villa take advantage of Chelsea's faltering form and add a second win at the Bridge in as many years?

Chelsea vs Aston Villa: When is it?

Chelsea host Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, September 24th at 2pm British Summer Time. While there isn't a traditional rivalry between these two like there is with Sunday's other game, it is still a staple of English top flight football and should, as it always does, provide us with a thrilling encounter and plenty of action as both sides have something to prove.

For Chelsea, this game is the perfect opportunity to restart their season with a statement win over one of the sides many have tipped to challenge the traditional 'big six' this year. Whereas, for Villa, the game against Chelsea represents a great chance to prove to the rest of the league that they are a serious threat to the traditional powerhouses and that the surrounding hype is real.

In all, this should be an excellent game for fans of the sides and neutrals, with both sides having something to fight for.

After missing out on Harry Maguire, it looks as though David Moyes is finally set to strengthen his backline at West Ham United, with an update emerging on Konstantinos Mavropanos.

The Hammers have so far signed just two reinforcements, in the form of James Ward-Prowse and Edson Alvarez. Now, however, they're reportedly securing one more.

What's the latest on Konstantinos Mavropanos to West Ham?

With the London club targeting a centre-back this summer, VfB Stuttgart's Mavropanos is set to undergo a medical, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The deal itself is reportedly agreed at €20m, plus €5m in add-ons, with 10% of the fee going to Mavropanos' former club and West Ham's rivals, Arsenal.

The Hammers turned to the former Gunner after facing rejection from Manchester United's Maguire. With a deal in place with the Red Devils, it was the England international's decision that reportedly broke the move down.

Moyes looks to have finally got his defender, however, as West Ham look to avoid the chaos of a relegation battle this season, and enjoy the comforts of mid-table, at the very least, instead.

On the opening day of the season, of course, they secured a point against Bournemouth, in what they may see as the foundation to build from in the coming weeks.

Should West Ham sign Konstantinos Mavropanos?

After shipping 55 goals last season – the ninth-worst record in the league – it's fair to say that West Ham needed reinforcements in their backline this summer. And Mavropanos could prove to be an ideal choice.

The defender, who was one of the quickest in the Bundesliga, may have struggled to make his mark when at Arsenal, but ever since switching London for Stuttgart, he has proven exactly why he got the move to the Gunners in the first place. He's earned plenty of praise in the process, too, with former Stuttgart manager Pellegrino Matarazzo saying, via the official Bundesliga website:

"He always shows in training that he can produce magic.

"He's got heart, energy and determination. We need guys like him.

"He's our gladiator – a monster in terms of physique."

Read the latest West Ham transfer news HERE…

Meanwhile, Stuttgart sporting director Sven Mislintat said:

"Dinos is a prototype of everything this team stands for: always working, with a desire to win and to constantly improve.

"And when things aren't going well, he doesn't get negative. He always communicates well with his colleagues, and is always looking forward."

With that said, everything points to the notion that West Ham are getting themselves an excellent addition, and an addition whose speed is a particularly impressive trait.

As per the Bundesliga website, Mavropanos has previously clocked a top speed of 21.79 mph, showing pace that could play a crucial part in the Premier League when asked to keep up with the likes of Erling Haaland, and Mohamed Salah.

From West Ham's perspective, once medicals are done, and the defender is officially presented at the London Stadium, they'll want to get him involved as soon as possible. If the Hammers get the deal done in time, we may well see Mavropanos make his debut against Brighton & Hove Albion next Saturday.

Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker nearly cost his team a goal just moments after Trent Alexander-Arnold's mistake saw the Reds go 1-0 down.

What's the latest on Liverpool and Bournemouth?

Playing in their first home game of the Premier League season, Jurgen Klopp's men hosted Bournemouth at Anfield on Saturday afternoon.

Having drawn 1-1 away at Chelsea in their opening match, Liverpool would have been hoping for a fast start agains the Cherries but quite the opposite happened.

Indeed, just moments into the match Jaidon Anthony had the ball in the back of the net after a mix-up between Alisson and Alexander-Arnold, only for the offiside flag to fortunately rule the goal out.

Not learning from that mistake, however, still just three minutes into the game, the English right-back was robbed of the ball on the edge of his own box – in what was a bit of a howler from the player when popping up in the a slight less familiar central position.

Dominic Solanke carried it forward and although he lost the ball, it fell nicely for Antoine Semenyo who slammed in home to make it 1-0.

It was a terrible start and it nearly got worse. Indeed, only five minutes later, goalkeeper Alisson received the ball inside his own box, took a terrible touch and was lucky not to be sent off as he lost the ball, lunged out and made a foul – resulting only in a yellow card.

Unsurprisingly, the goalkeeper was slammed online. Here are some damning reactions from fans as well as those in the media…

While BBC pundit Chris Sutton commented on the situation, noting: "It's been a very shaky start from Alisson."

Renowned journalist James Pearce didn't seem to understand what was going on either, as he took to Twitter to write: "What is going on here?? So sloppy from Alisson, who chops down Anthony on edge of the box after a dreadful touch. GK escapes with a yellow card."

Fortunately for the Reds, they'd turned the game back in their favour by half time after Luiz Diaz levelled the scores in the 28th minute and then Mohamed Salah scored the rebound after initially missing his penalty just eight minutes later.

And while Alexis Mac Allister picked up a controversial red card in the second half, a thrid goal from Diogo Jota put the game out of reach as home team came away with a 3-1 win.

What is Alisson Becker's salary?

The Brazilian keeper currently earns a reported £150k-p/w, making him one of the best paid players at the club.

And while he has shown that he is probably worth that sort of money in the past, his display in the early stages of this game against Bournemouth didn't really justify such a wage.

Still, it was only last season that teammate Andy Robertson hailed him as the best goalkeeper in the world, so Alisson certainly won't want to let his high standards slip this term.

In full, the left-back told the press (via Goal): "I think Ali's the best in the world for sure in what he does. We've all probably let him down this season in that he's faced too many shots, he's had to be making too many saves and I think he'll be a lot happier tonight."

Chittagong Vikings overcame Andre Fletcher’s blistering 71 to defend 211 and beat Sylhet Sixers by 40 runs in their first home game

The Report by Mohammad Isam24-Nov-2017
Live Scorecard and ball-by-ball updatesStiaan van Zyl and Sikandar Raza shared a 73-run partnership•Raton Gomes/BCBChittagong Vikings picked themselves up from the bottom of the points table by beating Sylhet Sixers by 40 runs in their first game at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, the team’s home venue. Sikandar Raza’s superb hitting powered Chittagong to 211 for 5 – the highest total in this season of the BPL.Raza slammed six sixes and nine fours in his 45-ball 95. He shared partnerships of 73 for the fourth wicket with Stiaan van Zyl and 68 for the fifth wicket with Najibullah Zadran. All that after Luke Ronchi’s cameo at the top gave the hosts a flying start.Andre Fletcher threatened Chittagong for a large duration of the chase with a blistering 71, but Sylhet collapsed after his dismissal. They lost six wickets in less than four overs, slipping from 123 for 1 to 144 for 7 and eventually finishing on 171 for 8.Ronchi sets Chittagong upRonchi has been instrumental in giving Chittagong a quick start in almost every game, and today was no different. He started off with a six over square-leg in the first over, and went on to hit six fours as well in his 25-ball 41.But incoming batsmen Soumya Sarkar and Anamul Haque couldn’t quite match Ronchi as they fell for 1 and 3 respectively. By the time Ronchi was out in the eighth over, Chittagong were well-set for a big total.Raza and van Zyl consolidateBefore Raza started his 45-ball blitz of 85 to get on top of the Sylhet attack, Stiaan van Zyl struck Taijul Islam for a six over midwicket very early. Raza, who was dropped in the 10th over, got into the act when he and van Zyl struck Nasir for one six each in the next over.Raza then targeted Ghulam Mudassar and Abul Hasan for one six each – over extra cover and midwicket. Their 73-run partnership ended in the 14th over, but by then Chittagong were already on 138.Raza tees off with a six-barrageRaza and Najibullah kept the run-rate up in the last seven overs, but the sixes started to rain from the 18th over onwards when Raza slammed Hasan over cover and deep into the stands at midwicket. He then blasted Tim Bresnan over midwicket for his sixth six to move into the nineties, and his highest T20 score.With five balls remaining, Raza sliced Kamrul Islam Rabbi into the hands of deep point, falling five short of a deserved century.Fletcher keeps Sylhet in the huntDanushka Gunathilaka sounded out Sylhet’s intentions by hitting Sunzamul Islam for a straight six off the first ball of the chase. Fletcher took his cue and hammered Raza for two sixes in the next over – over extra cover and midwicket.Fletcher upped his game in the next over when he hammered four consecutive boundaries, three through the offside and one straight down the ground, off Subashis Roy. Gunathilaka’s dismissal in the fifth over hardly mattered as Fletcher and Babar Azam made a smooth transition in their hitting.Azam cracked Luis Reece for his first six over midwicket, before Fletcher hammered Tanbir Hayder straight for another six in the ninth over. He added another in the 14th over, a huge hit over midwicket off Taskin Ahmed.Sylhet slump in a heapTaskin, however, hit back when Raza took a great running catch from cover to remove the dangerous Fletcher for 71 in the 14th over. Van Zyl then took two wickets in the 15th. Soumya removed Hasan and Bresnan in the 16th over, and just like that, the required-run rate had hit astronomical heights. That proved too much for Sylhet to manage any sort of a recovery, and they finished well short of their target.