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GOAL reviews the major takeaways from Americans playing in Europe, including Agyemang getting back to his best.

The USMNT have a few good strikers to work with. What they don’t have, at least not yet, is a great one. This crop is full of ideas, full of talent, but none of them are the finished product. And that in itself comes with a certain appeal: the familiar excitement around what a player isn’t quite yet, but maybe could be. Could Folarin Balogun become world-class? Possibly. But he’ll need a few tweaks – and a sustained run of fitness – before that conversation gets serious.

That uncertainty is what fuels the weekly churn of the U.S. striker discourse, a position where relevance is gained and lost by the game. Patrick Agyemang was barely mentioned a few weeks ago; now, after a well-taken goal in a defeat, he’s back in the mix. Josh Sargent is still struggling to actually put the ball in the net, but a much-needed assist nudged him into the conversation again. And then there’s the mercurial Ricardo Pepi, who scored and assisted for PSV as his manager shifted to a two-striker system just to get him in the side. 

And even in a week in which Christian Pulisic missed action due to an injury, and Chris Richards misfired for Palace, there remains reason for optimism for USMNT hopefuls and regulars alike. 

GOAL looks at the major takeaways from this weekend's Americans Abroad.

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  More to come from Agyemang?

  Agyemang's signing with Derby was a puzzling decision at the time. He was scoring goals for Charlotte FC, performing at a high level, and at the very least giving Mauricio Pochettino something to think about. Sure, the money was always going to be better in the EFL Championship, but he had things pretty good in MLS.

  Yet when Derby beckoned, Agyemang answered – and saw his income jump dramatically, from $104,000 at Charlotte to a reported $1.5 million. On the pitch, though, the move hasn’t always made sense. Since returning from the injury he suffered in MLS before the transfer, Agyemang hasn’t consistently looked like a natural fit for John Eustace’s side, alternating between No. 9 and No. 10. He’s a fine footballer, but also a fairly one-dimensional presence.

  Still, the form is coming. And on Saturday against Middlesbrough, he scored a truly lovely goal.

  It was a proper striker’s move – reading the bounce, accelerating away from his defender, and shaping the perfect angle to slot past a helpless goalkeeper. Agyemang isn’t quite the finished product yet, but he’s a regular starter and already has six goal contributions for Derby.

  After the match, Eustace praised him. Odds are, there’s more to come.

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• Adams defies logic

  Have a hit, yeah, Tyler? Sometimes, watching football is hard to comprehend why, exactly, a player does what they do. Sometimes it's a silly decision: a backpass that goes awry, or an ill-advised attempt at a nutmeg. But on Saturday morning, it was Tyler Adams deciding to shoot from 50 yards. And why? It seemed, in real time, a truly puzzling move. But as the ball floated, and the camera adjusted accordingly, his whack down the field looked a stroke of genius. 

  You will see few better goals this season than Adams' long-range clip, the American midfielder recognizing in an instant that the goalkeeper was 15 yards off his line for no apparent reason. It capped off a fine performance in defeat for Adams. He seems to have three lungs these days, a perfect element in the middle of Andoni Iraola's Bournemouth machine, all whirring legs and instinctive moves. Bournemouth lost 3-2 – but if football is about individual moments, then Adams had the best of the weekend, by far. 

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  Richards fails to deliver against United

  Sunday morning's game against Manchester United felt important for Crystal Palace. It will, in all likelihood, be a tricky season forThey secured European football last year, but didn't invest enough over the summer to prove that they can stay there. But big results, such as a late win over Liverpool earlier in the season, showed that there remains plenty of fight here. 

  And Richards will be central to that effort. He has performed wonderfully on the right side of a back three for Oliver Glasner for over a year now, and has been part of a well-drilled defensive system. Man United seemed to be a good test. These are the kinds of games that Palace should win – especially at home. Instead, they were a little mixed. Richards won his headers, but wasn't quite convincing when the ball was on the ground. To be clear, he can't be totally blamed here, but Palace really shouldn't have conceded twice. And the American was part of that letdown. There will be better days…

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  Moments you might have missed

  + Ricardo Pepi scored and assisted in PSV's win over lowly Volendam

  + Brenden Aaronson came off the bench in Leeds' 3-2 loss to Man City

  + Christian Pulisic missed Milan's 1-0 win over Lazio with a knock

  + Weston McKennie played all 90 minutes in Juve's nervy 2-1 win over Cagliari

  + James Sands went the full 90 but couldn't make an impact as St. Pauli conceded a 93rd-minute winner to Bayern Munich 

  + It was a frustrating one for Malik Tillman, who couldn't quite make an impact as Bayer Leverkusen lost 2-1 to Borussia Dortmund 

  + Folarin Balogun was feeding off scraps, but Monaco got the job done in a 1-0 win over PSG

  + Josh Sargent finally found a bit of form and grabbed an assist in Norwich's much-needed victory against QPR 

  + Tim Weah played all 90, but Marseille threw away a late lead against Toulouse 

  + Yunus Musah did not play in Atalanta's 2-0 win over Fiorentina

  + Tanner Tessmann shined in Lyon's 3-0 win over Nantes

“After that I got clear ideas, those things really helped me in the last two-three games,” says India’s vice-captain, who struck a century in the warm-ups

Sruthi Ravindranath02-Mar-20221:38

Harmanpreet: ‘More comfortable batting at No. 4 than No. 5’

India vice-captain Harmanpreet Kaur has admitted she was “going into my shell” when she was struggling with form, and that speaking to Dr Mugdha Bavare, the mental-health conditioning coach who is traveling with the team, helped her get “clear ideas” ahead of the World Cup. Harmanpreet echoed her captain Mithali Raj’s words, stressing on the importance of having a mental-health professional around, especially before big tournaments.The senior batter had been enduring a rough patch in ODIs in the last few years, making 444 runs in 21 matches since 2019, averaging 31.71 with just two fifties. During the recent series against hosts New Zealand leading up to the World Cup, she made scores of 10, 10 and 13 before scoring a 66-ball 63 in India’s only win in the series in the fifth ODI. She followed it up with a 104 off 114 in the warm-up match against South Africa and did not take part in the next warm-up against West Indies with sore wrists.Related

Harmanpreet Kaur wants regular sports psychologist to address 'mental fatigue'

Rana and Vastrakar provide timely answer for India's search for allrounders

Harmanpreet provides timely reminder of her ability

Edulji: Harmanpreet 'can't survive' on the basis of her 171*'

Mithali Raj welcomes having sports psychologist on board

“Mugdha ma’am is traveling with us, she has been helping us a lot,” Harmanpreet said during a press conference on Wednesday. “Especially during the last four games which we played against New Zealand when even my performance wasn’t going too well and I was going into my shell. The World Cup was coming up and it is very important, as we all know. After that, she spoke to me and as the talks were happening I realised that I was also looking forward to talking to her. I got the solutions from the talks we had.”There wasn’t a lot of awareness about it before and there was a lot of pressure to put up performances, things were happening around. After that I got clear ideas, those things really helped me in the last two-three games. I think the rest of the players are also getting help because I can see she’s continuously talking to all the players, which is important and that will really help us.”Harmanpreet to bat at No. 5 in the World Cup

Harmanpreet Kaur will bat at No. 5 in the upcoming World Cup despite expressing she preferred the No. 4 spot, a position which captain Mithali Raj now occupies. Harmanpreet has better ODI numbers at No. 4, where she batted until recently; she averages 40.45 there for her 1618 runs in 48 innings with a strike rate of 70.22, whereas at No. 5 she averages 26.84 in 38 innings while striking at 66.12. Even her recent half-century against New Zealand came in at No. 4.

“I’m more comfortable at No. 4 than No. 5, but we need to play according to the team’s demands,” she said. “We did discuss on that but as of now I’m going to play at No. 5 only, maybe in the future we can [make changes] according to the match situation but right now I don’t think I’ll be playing at No. 4, No. 5 will be my number.”

Harmanpreet has been copping criticism for not making a mark with big scores since her scintillating 171* against Australia in the semi-final of the 2017 World Cup, most recently from former India captain Diana Edulji who had said that Harmanpreet can’t survive in the Indian team just on that knock. Since that iconic innings, she has averaged just 28.75 with the bat. While she is well aware of the criticism coming her way, Harmanpreet feels it’s because she has set the standard of being a big-knock player and that her smaller match-winning efforts aren’t being highlighted as a result.”I know people talk more about my 171 knock,” she said. “I think I set myself a standard with that knock, I know I can play that kind of cricket. Maybe that’s why my smaller crucial knocks of 30, 40, 50 – for whichever team [I play] are not getting enough importance. I don’t think I judge myself with numbers. For me, what is important is, irrespective of how much ever I score it should be enough for my team, irrespective of whether it is 100 runs or 10 runs. Numbers don’t matter to me, what matters is whenever the team needs me I should be there.”She also expressed her disappointment in not being able to find form in the last few years, calling it “painful” to not being able to make runs despite trying her best.”What’s painful is when I don’t make runs. As a cricketer, you are always looking for runs. Nothing is more painful than getting on the field and you’re trying to give your 200% and unfortunately you’re not able to deliver at that level, as you are expecting from yourself, forget about people who have hopes on me. I think more painful is not getting runs more than other things.”It’s not about a big player or small player feeling – it’s the same for every player. I think when these things happened, Mugdha played a very big role when I was not getting runs. She came to me, she spoke to me about what’s happening and how I can find a way out and my family was supporting me, they were continuously talking to me. Those things helped me a lot.”

Bangladesh crashed and burned in their opening game of the Under-19 World Cup, getting bowled out for 97, as England began their campaign with a seven-wicket win over the defending champions in Basseterre’s Warner Park.Bangladesh were rattled by England’s left-arm seamer Joshua Boyden, who effected four caught-behind dismissals after Bangladesh opted to bat first. He finished with 4 for 16 from his nine overs that also included four maidens.Related

• Benjamin Cliff replaces injured Sonny Baker in England's U-19 World Cup squad

• Memories of 2020 drive undercooked but determined Bangladesh

Boyden, who plays for Lancashire 2nd XI, took the new ball and in the third over of his spell struck with a ball angling across opener Mahfijul Islam as he tried to drive away from his body. Next over, the other Bangladesh opener, Ariful Islam, was sent back in similar fashion, once again pocketed by wicketkeeper Alex Horton.From the opposite end, right-arm seamer James Sales picked off Prantik Nawrose Nabil with another catch to the keeper, and when a direct-hit from William Luxton had wicketkeeper-batter Md Fahim packing for 1, Bangladesh were reeling at 8 for 4.Bangladesh promoted Ashiqur Zaman up the order to up the scoring, but his inexperience with the bat showed when he was out for 9 trying to pull a Thomas Aspinwall ball that got big on him.With England well and truly on top, Bangladesh’s No. 4 Aich Mollah (13) tried to start a rebuilding process alongside Abdullah Al Mamun. But Mollah fell to Fateh Singh’s left-arm spin when his cut behind point went straight to gully.Boyden, returning for a new spell, then brought the wicketkeeper back into play, in the 23rd over, by getting a length ball to nip across left-hander Mamun’s bat, taking a faint edge to Horton. Next over, SM Meherob top-edged a short ball from Aspinwall to Horton for his fifth catch and the score was 51 for 8.Bangladesh captain and bowling allrounder Rakibul Hasan was soon dismissed off the first ball he faed when a full delivery from Boydon angled across him, and the his aggressive-looking drive was edged to Horton.Bangladesh’s final pair, however, dug in to give the team some hope of a triple-digit score. Naimur Rohman made 11 and the No. 11 Ripon Mondol swung his bat around to crack five fours and a six to make 33. Their partnership of 46 runs pushed Bangladesh to 97 for 9 before Rohman pulled right-arm offspinner Tom Prest to a diving James Rew at midwicket.England’s unbeaten duo of William Luxton and James Rew walk back after the win•ICC via Getty

England’s openers were in no hurry to chase the target of 98 down, looking to settle in before opening their arms. In search of wickets, Rakibul rotated his bowling options to find that opening breakthrough, and it came in the ninth over from second-change bowler Mondol when opener George Thomas mistimed a pull to midwicket.Prest, the England captain, then walked in at No. 3 with the score 20 for 1, but he didn’t last long. After taking 15 balls to score four runs, he got tempted to cut one square with a half-tracker from Rakibul, but ended up getting a thick edge to wicketkeeper Mollah. With England at 26 for 2, and Bangladesh lifted following two quick wickets, there was still a chance for the defending champions to make a game of the contest despite the low target.But all those hopes for Bangladesh were dashed by the third-wicket stand between Jacob Bethell and Rew. Despite being in no rush to get his runs, the opener Bethell impressed with his strokes, cracking four fours and two sixes. He made 44 in 63 balls, and held one end up, exactly what England needed at the time. However, he was run out responding to a single from Rew.With England on 91 for 3 and needing only seven more to win, Luxton walked in at No. 5 and played a slog sweep over deep midwicket off his very first ball. Rew then knocked off a single, for his 26th run, to seal England’s win with 149 balls to spare.”That’s probably the perfect start,” Prest said after the game. “For our bowlers to get them out for under 100 was very good. In the end, a good toss to lose.”Boydon was really good doing that for us, good at swinging the ball, especially to left-handers. We fielded very well, we were fizzing around. Fielding has been a big focus of ours.””I think as a batting unit we didn’t do well,” Rakibul said. “We want to come back stronger next game with the batting. We had some good batters at the end and they showed great character. If our main batsmen score some runs, then we can surely come back stronger in the next match. Look, for us, two games remain. We need to win two games to cross the line and we need to play our best cricket.”

Virgil van Dijk provided an update on his future at Anfield as the Liverpool captain nears free agency.

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Van Dijk's update on his futureYet to sign new contract at AnfieldSalah & Alexander-Arnold could also leaveFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Van Dijk, who is in the final months of his existing contract with Liverpool, is yet to agree to sign a new deal and extend his stay at Anfield. had earlier reported that in case the talismanic Dutchman becomes a free agent at the end of the 2024-25 campaign, he could head to Barcelona, who are keen on bolstering their backline. Amid rising speculations, the Netherlands star provided an update on his future.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWHAT VAN DIJK SAID

Speaking to the 33-year-old said: "In the coming months we just have to give it our all. We are still active on three fronts and that is the primary goal I have in mind. I have very, very big plans in that area.

"Unfortunately I can't talk about personal conversations I have with the club. We've been talking for a while and the only thing I can say now is that I love this club. I'm very calm about the situation. As long as I'm calm about it, the fans can be too. If there's news, you'll hear about it. For now, I really don't know where I will be playing next season, but again: I am calm about it."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Along with Van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold are also nearing free agency. The Reds will have to initiate contract talks in the next couple of months to stop their stars from leaving for free. While Alexander-Arnold is linked with a move to Real Madrid, Salah could finally complete his much-hyped move to Saudi Arabia.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL?

The Merseyside club, who have won just one out of their last three Premier League matches, will be next seen in action on Sunday as they host reigning champions Manchester City at Anfield.

Perth Test still on the cards with plans being still worked through between CA and the Western Australian government

Alex Malcolm18-Nov-2021

There could be 100,000 people at the MCG on Boxing Day after the Victorian government announced all Covid crowd restrictions would be lifted on Thursday following the state reaching its vaccination targets.Victoria’s vaccination rates for people over the age of 12 are about to reach the 90% mark. The state government had previously stated that crowds of upto 80,000 would be allowed at the MCG for the third Ashes Test on Boxing Day.But with the vaccination rates reaching 90%, Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews declared that there would be no limits on the number of people who could go to the MCG on Boxing Day.”There are no more caps, there are no more quotients, no more rules in terms of how many people can be in different spaces,” Andrews said in Melbourne on Thursday.”Whether it’s 100,000 at the MCG on Boxing Day or a smaller group standing up at the public bar of their local pub having a beer, this is the COVID normal that every Victorian has built.”People will need to be fully vaccinated in order to gain entry into the MCG for the Test match.But Western Australia’s border remains closed to NSW and Victoria and to internationals due to WA’s slower vaccination rates and the Perth Test remains a work in progress. The WA government has declared its intention to host the Perth Test but conversations are still ongoing between WA Health, WA Police and Cricket Australia.CA chief executive Nick Hockley told 3AW on Wednesday that he was confident the fifth Ashes Test was still on track to be played in Perth.”There’s still a fair amount of detail to be worked through,” Hockley said. “We’re doing that as the moment as a priority.”The arrangements that will be put in place, they are very complicated, there’s a huge amount of work that goes on behind the scenes.”We’re not quite there yet in finalising all the plans but certainly making a huge amount of progress. Certainly, we’re working towards it happening.”

يستعد منتخب مصر، لخوض مواجهة قوية مساء اليوم الأحد أمام جنوب إفريقيا، ضمن تصفيات كأس أمم إفريقيا للمحليين.

منتخب مصر يلاقي نظيره جنوب إفريقيا، على استاد هيئة قناة السويس بالإسماعيلية، في لقاء الإياب ضمن التصفيات الإفريقية المؤهلة لكأس أمم إفريقيا للمحليين.

وكانت مباراة الذهاب بين مصر وجنوب إفريقيا، التي أقيمت الأحد الماضي في جنوب إفريقيا، انتهت بالتعادل الإيجابي 1-1.

طالع أيضاً.. طريق مصر | منتخب مالاوي يفوز على جزر القمر ويتأهل إلى المرحلة الثانية من تصفيات أمم إفريقيا للمحليين

ومن المقرر أن يلاقي الفائز من مجموع مباراتي مصر وجنوب إفريقيا المتأهل من جزر القمر ومالاوي في المرحلة الثانية من التصفيات.

وتقام بطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا للمحليين، خلال شهر أغسطس المقبل 2025، في 3 دول بشكل مشترك، كينيا وتنزانيا وأوغندا. موعد مباراة مصر وجنوب إفريقيا في تصفيات كأس أمم إفريقيا للمحليين

المباراة تقام اليوم الأحد في تمام الساعة التاسعة والنصف مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة، العاشرة والنصف بتوقيت السعودية. القناة الناقلة لمباراة مصر وجنوب إفريقيا اليوم

تُنقل المباراة عبر قناة أون سبورت 1.

ويمكنكم مطالعة مواعيد ونتائج جميع المباريات لحظة بلحظة عبر مركز المباريات من هنا.

Big Picture

The series was decided by two defining bowling performances from the Bangladesh side as Nasum Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman powered the hosts to an unassailable 3-1 lead against New Zealand in the fourth T20I after Bangladesh went down by 52 runs in the third. Expect bowlers to have a say in the result of the fifth T20I, too.Though the fifth T20I on Friday in Dhaka is a dead rubber, Bangladesh have a chance to try out a few players from their 15-member T20 World Cup squad that was announced on Thursday. So far, they have played with an unchanged XI in all four matches but, for the final T20I, Shakib Al Hasan, Nasum Ahmed, Mustafizur and Mohammad Saifuddin are likely to be rested. Shakib Al Hasan and Mohammad Saifuddin, meanwhile, are nursing finger injuries.Related

• T20 World Cup: No Tamim Iqbal, as Bangladesh name Mahmudullah-led squad along expected lines

• Nasum wants to shine on flat, tough surfaces as well

• For Patel, the plan is to 'bowl into the wicket and spin the ball hard'

Soumya Sarkar, one of the four players in the squad for this series who is yet to get a game, suffered a shoulder injury during training on Wednesday. Shamim Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, and Shoriful Islam are the some of the players who might get an opportunity while batters like Mohammad Naim, Liton Das, and Mushfiqur Rahim continue trying to find form. Afif Hossain and Nurul Hasan may also be included in the XI.New Zealand, for their part, will be keen to carry some confidence into their next assignment, in Pakistan, where they will play three ODIs and five T20Is. Even though the visitors fought back in the third game after they lost the first two T20Is, Tom Latham’s men will need an improved performance from their top and middle orders to finish on a high. Finn Allen, Latham and Henry Nicholls were dismissed cheaply in the previous match, which helped Bangladesh clinch the series.Ajaz Patel was the lone warrior with the ball in the fourth T20I after Cole McConchie had a forgettable day in the must-win fixture. The New Zealand fast bowlers once again failed to come together with a good show.

Form guide

(last five completed matches)Bangladesh WLWWW
New Zealand LWLLW

In the spotlight

Bangladesh head coach Russell Domingo called Mahedi Hasan a “free player,” indicating that he can be used in both batting and bowling at any time, in any position. Mahedi has so far responded moderately to the role of a floater, bowling well in most cases, but hasn’t stepped up to his potential when it comes to batting. His numbers in international cricket don’t quite match the promise of his domestic performances, but the coach seems to believe in him.Will Young will be the one to watch out for from the New Zealand camp, having scored almost half of the runs – 109 in four matches – for the visitors in this series. Young has improved with every game in Dhaka, where his drives and sweeps have been exceptional, giving glimpses of a potentially long career ahead.

Team news

Even if Shakib, Saifuddin, Mustafizur and Nasum do not play, Bangladesh still have the bench strength to test New Zealand.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Mohammad Naim, 2 Liton Das, 3 Soumya Sarkar, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim, 5 Mahmudullah (capt), 6 Afif Hossain, 7 Nurul Hasan (wk), 8 Shamim Hossain, 9 Shoriful Islam, 10 Taskin Ahmed, 11 Aminul Islam.If Tom Blundell’s strained left quadriceps prevent him from playing on Friday, New Zealand have to pick an extra fast bowler. Only Matt Henry is yet to play a match from their touring squad.New Zealand (probable): 1 Rachin Ravindra, 2 Finn Allen, 3 Tom Latham (capt & wk), 4 Will Young, 5 Colin de Grandhomme, 6 Henry Nicholls, 7 Tom Blundell, 8 Cole McConchie, 9 Ajaz Patel, 10 Hamish Bennett, 11 Blair Tickner.

Pitch and conditions

Teams batting first have averaged 105.5 during this T20I series, and one can expect the fifth and final match to be a low-scoring affair as well. Rain is forecast on Friday. Through this series, though, it has rained in Dhaka at all times except when the teams have been on the field.

Stats and trivia

• The combined batting average in this series is 14.96, just a shade higher than the 14.73 from the Bangladesh-Australia series last month. These are the two lowest batting averages in T20I series involving three or more matches between Full Member nations.
• The left-arm spinners from both sides have taken 24 wickets at an average of 10.37 in this series. Offspinners have taken 12 wickets at 16.75, while the lone left-arm quick, Mustafizur, has taken eight wickets at an average of 11.

A reunion with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez at Inter Miami, which will see the ‘MSN’ strike force reformed, is said to be “appealing” to Neymar.

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• Neymar currently in Saudi Pro League
• Contract at Al-Hilal is running down
• Move to United States speculated on

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Brazil international forward is currently plying his trade for Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Hilal. He has, however, endured more injury struggles in the Middle East and will see his current contract expire in the summer of 2025.

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  WHAT NEYMAR SAID

  Neymar has been hinting at making a move to MLS, with the 32-year-old telling : “Obviously playing again with Messi and Suarez would be incredible. They are my friends, we still speak to each other, it would be interesting to revive this trio. I am happy at Al Hilal and in Saudi Arabia, but who knows. Football is full of surprises.”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Any switch to Florida would also see Neymar link up with ex-Barca colleague Javier Mascherano – with the former Argentina international now filling a prominent managerial post in the United States. Inter Miami have remained coy on their recruitment plans, with managing owner Jorge Mas saying of the Neymar rumours: “The key word is if he were to come available. He is an Al-Hilal player now. He’s not available to us. I have always said we aspire to bring great players to our team and to our league. We have a lot of roster limitations and restrictions, but were there no restrictions, I said it and I’ll repeat it, we have an unlimited budget. We are aspirational. If there is ever a chance to bring the calibre of a player like Neymar or others, we will not hesitate.”

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  The claims that “the chance to experience a more relaxed lifestyle in the United States and reunite on the field with close friends is appealing” to Neymar, who continues to mull over his options. He has been a regular visitor to that part of that world over the years, with NBA action featuring close friend Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat often being taken in.

Jude Bellingham has been given a positional promise at Real Madrid after rediscovering his goal touch in the wake of Kylian Mbappe’s arrival.

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• World Cup winner nudged midfielder back
• Opened the season with 12-game goalless run
• Manager has vowed to use him in advanced role

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The England international starred for the Blancos last season, with a 23-goal haul helping them to La Liga and Champions League titles and himself to a standing among the 2024 Ballon d’Or contenders. Bellingham earned widespread praise while operating in an advanced No.10 role.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  He was always going to be pushed back once Real made World Cup winner Mbappe the latest ‘Galactico’ at Santiago Bernabeu, with another fearsome attacker being added to Carlo Ancelotti’s ranks. After being deployed a bit deeper, Bellingham went 12 games without a goal at the start of the 2024-25 campaign.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  He was used as a second right-back in a Clasico clash with Barcelona, while often being asked to be more defensive than offensive, but has burst back into life of late with a run of seven goals in his last 10 appearances – some of which have come when covering for Vinicius Junior in a ‘false nine’ berth.

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  TELL ME MORE

  With Bellingham flying again, reports on how Ancelotti has vowed not to tinker with the 21-year-old’s role again. The Italian tactician is said to have told his talismanic midfielder: “I'm not going to put you in any other position than near the penalty area.”

Everton have struggled during the opening few weeks of the season, losing all three of their Premier League games so far.

Progression into the next round of the EFL was secured, but a win over Doncaster Rovers was also expected. Sean Dyche is now under pressure to get things right in the top flight, otherwise the Toffees could face yet another relegation battle.

Dyche made his eighth signing of the summer before the window closed by luring Armando Broja to Goodison Park. Could he help the club remain in the top flight?

Armando Broja’s Premier League statistics

The Albanian striker made his Premier League debut during a loan spell with Southampton in the 2021/22 campaign, scoring six goals for the Saints that season.

He returned to the Blues for the following campaign yet could only manage one league goal due to suffering a cruciate ligament injury in December 2022, keeping him out for nine months.

The striker has been plagued with injury problems throughout his young career thus far, and he could be missing until November due to an Achilles issue.

This means Dyche won't be able to see the best of Broja until potentially the new year, indicating that he will have to stick with those at his disposal.

Goals

1

Assists

1

Shots per game

0.6

Successful dribbles per game

0.7

Total duels won per game

1.9

Big chances created

1

Could the manager perhaps call on a young talent who has made the move to Merseyside this summer as a potential replacement for the injured loanee? As he may have to gamble sooner rather than later.

Omari Benjamin could solve Broja blow

After impressing during his trial at the club, Omari Benjamin signed a three-year deal with the Toffees ahead of the new season.

During his time at Arsenal, Benjamin showcased his glittering talents for the U18 side, scoring 18 goals in just 33 appearances, emerging as one of the brightest young talents at the club.

His move to Finch Farm, however, came as a surprise, but it is clear Dyche has an outstanding talent in his U18 squad who could potentially gain senior opportunities this term.

Jeorge Bird, a youth reporter for Arsenal, heaped plenty of praise on the centre-forward back in 2022, saying: “Omari Benjamin looks like a good prospect. Can play up front or out wide. Has been prolific for the U16s this season. Wales youth international.”

The youngster has also shone for the Wales U19 side, scoring once in five games while even grabbing an assist, showcasing his qualities on the international scene.

Dyche will continue to use Dominic Calvert-Lewin as his main striker, but if anything were to happen to him, don’t be surprised to see Benjamin receive a call-up to the senior side.

If so, Benjamin certainly has the confidence to make quite an impression in the senior ranks should a chance arise over the next few months.

No doubt about that.

Everton ace was boldly sold by Dyche, now he's outscoring Calvert-Lewin

He enjoyed a very successful 2023/24 campaign away from Goodison.

1 ByEthan Lamb Sep 6, 2024