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While there is no shortage of openers ahead of the T20 World Cup, balance and death bowling remain major concerns

Firdose Moonda17-Apr-2021Is the timeline for a team in transition as long as a piece of string? In South Africa’s case it seems to be.In December 2019, when a new coaching staff was installed, they pled for patience as they sought to rebuild a team wrecked by poor administration and big retirements. Now it is April 2021, and South Africa have lost 8 out of 11 series under this regime. At least, they can’t be faulted for trying things. They’ve capped six Test players, six ODI players and eight T20 players and are mining their depth to come up with a winning formula, which still seems some distance away.With three World Cups in the next three years, South Africa need to get their white-ball combinations working quickly, and though this series has not given them much to celebrate, it has highlighted some areas that are working, and those that aren’t.Markram’s white-ball comeback

Aiden Markram received what he called an unexpected call-up to the white-ball squads, and he wasn’t even due to play in the T20Is, but Temba Bavuma’s injury meant he was retained, and he rewarded the selectors for their persistence. Markram looked good in the ODIs but never made more than 39 but, seemingly freed from expectation in the T20Is, reeled off three successive fifties to finish as South Africa’s leading run-scorer.Markam’s technical ability and shot repertoire were never in question but his temperament in the shorter formats was. Coach Mark Boucher thought the reason Markram didn’t crack on from good starts was because “he sometimes feels that if he’s not scoring at a strike rate of 140 he’s holding up the team in some way.” He struck at 182.65 in the T20Is, and although he didn’t bat through an innings, he showed he can set the tone and accumulate quickly.His partnership with Janneman Malan will give South Africa a good headache ahead of the T20 World Cup. When Bavuma returns from a hamstring injury, he will also lay claim to an opening spot, as will Quinton de Kock, who is currently playing in the IPL, and South Africa will have some interesting decisions to make about the composition of their top order.Aiden Markram scored three successive fifties and made his runs at a rapid rate•AFP/Getty ImagesTeam Balance
South Africa’s balance looked off in every match of this series, with their bowling supplies seemingly overstocked to the detriment of their batting. Boucher has long argued for more than five bowling options in a T20I, so there is cover if someone has an off day, but South Africa went into each game with at least seven options, and often didn’t use them all. Andile Phehlukwayo not being used as a bowler in the second and third T20Is was mystifying, not least because he is one of their most celebrated operators at the death. It also meant the lower middle order began at No.6, which seemed too high.If the only reason South Africa chose to arrange their combination that way was because of the absence of David Miller and injuries to Bavuma and Rassie van der Dussen, that may be an acceptable excuse, but they had a spare batter sitting in the dugout. Kyle Verreynne did not play a single T20I, ostensibly because he was included as a back-up wicketkeeper, according to Boucher, but his reputation suggests he is much more than that. Ideally, South Africa need six specialist batters before the allrounders and will want to rebalance the side for the T20 World Cup.The fielding standards have slipped
South Africa dropped eight catches across the two white-ball series and did not prowl the outfield with the same intensity and menace as they are known for. Apart from de Kock’s gesture to the non-striker’s end when Fakhar Zaman was run-out by a direct hit at the wicketkeepers’ end, there was a lack of ingenuity or inspired action as well. “Very poor” is how Heinrich Klaasen described it, while Boucher asked for his charges to show more “desperation”.Lizaad Williams has emerged as a contender for a long-term death-bowling role•AFP/Getty ImagesPerhaps part of the reason for the fielding lapses was that the bowling was not as strong as usual and morale may have been low. South Africa have been heavy-handed with extras, with 16 wides and eight no-balls across the three T20Is, compared to two wides and a no-ball from Pakistan, and did themselves no favours in the discipline department.The death overs
South Africa have yet to work out how to assert themselves at the end of the innings, with bat or ball. In this series, they conceded 9.95 runs per over in the last four overs, compared to Pakistan’s 7.73. With the bat, this was South Africa’s second-worst series of three or more matches in terms of death-overs scoring rate, behind the 5.54 they managed against Australia in a three-match series in Australia in 2014-15.With ball in hand, South Africa have to decide who their best executors of yorkers are. In this series, they deemed it to be Lizaad Wiliams and Sisanda Magala, and overlooked Phehlukwayo until the final match. At the T20 World Cup, Phehlukwayo is likely to come back into the mix along with Lungi Ngidi, so that problem might be solvable. With bat, Miller could come into the conversation. Still, South Africa need other lower-order hitters and to assign those roles more clearly. Phehlukwayo and Linde are both sluggers and can go full throttle but only if there is a solid platform to build on. Overall, South Africa need to be clearer on their strategy and sharper in their execution.

كشفت تقارير صحفية موقف تشابي ألونسو، من الرحيل عن تدريب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ريال مدريد بعد الهزيمة أمام سيلتا فيجو ضمن منافسات الدوري الإسباني.

وكان ريال مدريد قد خسر أمام سيلتا فيجو بثنائية نظيفة في المباراة التي جمعتهما مساء الأحد الماضي، ضمن منافسات الجولة الـ 16 من بطولة الدوري الإسباني.

شهدت تلك المباراة أداءً سيئًا للغاية من جانب ريال مدريد بعدما دخل ألونسو بتشكيل خاطئ، كما كانت هناك العديد من الثغرات الدفاعية داخل الفريق والتي استغلها سيلتا فيجو جيدًا.

عانى ريال مدريد أيضًا من القرارات التحكيمية في المباراة إذ تم طرد ثنائي الفريق فيران جارسيا وألفارو كاريراس، مع طرد اللاعب إندريك من على دكة البدلاء.

اقرأ أيضًا | تحرك عاجل من بيريز.. ماركا: تطور مفاجئ في وضع ألونسو مع ريال مدريد

بعد تلك الهزيمة ازدادت الشكوك حول مستفبل تشابي ألونسو في قيادة ريال مدريد الفترة المقبلة، حتى أشارت بعض التقارير السابقة إلى أن مباراة مانشستر سيتي في دوري أبطال أوروبا ستكون الفيصل في اتخاذ قرار تجاه المدرب الباسكي، وأن زين الدين زيدان المرشح الأول لخلافته.

ووفقًا لصحيفة “آس” الإسبانية، فإن تدريب زين الدين زيدان لريال مدريد وعودته مرة أخرى على دكة بدلاء الفريق أمر مستبعد تمامًا.

وأوضحت أن الشعور السائد في ريال مدريد هو أنهم لا يريدون إقالة تشابي ألونسو إلا في حال الضرورة القصوى لأنه شخصية يحترمها النادي لما حققه خلال فترة قصيرة كمدرب ولما كان عليه كلاعب في ريال مدريد، لكن النتائج هي الأهم في كرة القدم.

واختتمت أيضًا أنه في حال تعرض ألونسو للإقالة، فهناك مدربان جاهزان لقيادة الفريق بشكل مؤقت، لكن ليس منهما زيدان.

Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl will be relishing his first opportunity to bring in his own players when the January transfer window opens for business next month.

The German manager joined after the summer window closed and has only been able to work with the squad that was put together by previous managers and sporting directors.

With five wins and two draws in seven matches in the Scottish Premiership so far, it is exciting to think about what Rohl could achieve with signings that he has a chance to have a say in.

Rangers pushing to sign Premiership star

After a host of signings from England in the summer, the Light Blues are reportedly looking closer to home to bolster the manager’s options in midfield.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

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According to FootballTransfers, Glasgow Rangers are ‘pushing’ to reach an agreement to sign Kilmarnock central midfielder David Watson in the January transfer window.

The Scotland U21 international’s contract with Killie is due to expire at the end of the season, and the Gers are looking to take advantage of that situation to make him the first signing of the Rohl era.

It adds that Kilmarnock are open to a sale in January, to avoid losing him for nothing in the summer, but it remains to be seen how much they will demand for his services.

FootballTransfers reveals that the 20-year-old starlet has been identified as the club’s top target for the January window, but they will face competition from Lazio and Celtic, which means that this will not be an easy deal for Rangers to get over the line in the coming weeks.

Why Rangers should sign David Watson

With Mohamed Diomande heading off to the African Cup of Nations later this month, Watson could arrive at Ibrox at the start of January as an upgrade on the Ivorian talent.

Rangers will, of course, be without Diomande until the end of his country’s run in the tournament, which could provide a new signing like the Kilmarnock star to come in and take his place in the team before he returns.

Based on their respective performances in the Scottish Premiership this season, Watson would be likely to step into the side and offer more than the left-footed star has for Rangers so far.

Described by Scottish scout and analyst Kai Watson as a “box-crashing, goalscoring midfielder that works hard on both ends”, the Kilmarnock star has scored three goals and created two ‘big chances’ for Kilmarnock in the Premiership, per Sofascore, whilst Diomande has only scored one goal and created one ‘big chance’ for his team in that time.

This suggests that Watson, on current form, could offer more of a threat at the top end of the pitch for the Light Blues if he arrives in January to take a place in Rohl’s midfield, as both a scorer and a creator of goals in the middle of the park.

25/26 Premiership

Diomande

Watson

Appearances

12

16

Goals

1

3

Big chances created

1

2

Tackles + interceptions per game

1.9

3.1

Duels won per game

2.9

5.7

Ground duel success rate

45%

50%

Aerial duel success rate

31%

41%

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Scottish talent has also provided more quality than Diomande out of possession in the league this season, winning a higher percentage of his duels on the ground and in the air, whilst making more defensive interceptions per game.

Analyst John Walker claimed that Watson had “blown up the league” last year, and the same is true this season with his impressive performances in the middle of the park as a 20-year-old star.

The Killie central midfielder has significantly outperformed Diomande, who was the subject of a £6.5m bid from Besiktas in the summer, and has shown that he can deliver consistent displays in the division.

Watson, who scored four goals in 23 league starts in the 2024/25 campaign, is a proven Premiership performer who could arrive at Ibrox to hit the ground running in January, which is exactly what they need when signing a player midway through the season.

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With Diomande set to jet away to the African Cup of Nations, signing the Scottish star to come in as an upgrade on him at the start of the January transfer window could be a shrewd move by the club and a dream first signing for Rohl.

Paul Scholes might be of the bizarre opinion that he “takes too many touches”, but is there truly any reason to suggest why Arsenal’s Declan Rice isn’t one of the top five midfielders in the world right now?

There really isn’t anything that the Englishman can’t do, be it from whipping in a delicious corner, or rifling home a free-kick from range, having also been an ever-present fixture this season, prior to missing the trip to Bruges through illness.

He’s always up and at ’em, tearing from box-to-box in almost a Steven Gerrard, Roy Keane style of yesteryear. The true all-round midfielder.

It does boggle the mind that this was once a player shackled to a centre-back role in his youth at West Ham, before emerging as something of a safe and steady defensive-minded midfielder under David Moyes – scoring just 15 times in 245 games for the Hammers.

In the red and white of Arsenal, however, the 26-year-old has been a man unleashed, with Mikel Arteta’s handling of the all-action star proving to be something of a masterstroke.

Declan Rice's record as a No.6 vs a No.8

For all the attention surrounding West Ham’s Conference League captain, having emerged as a leading target for both Manchester clubs prior to 2023, there were still eyebrows raised at the £105m figure that the Gunners forked out to get their man just over two years ago.

Indeed, as already stated, the Three Lions star had only provided 28 goals and assists in total at the London Stadium, with the aforementioned Keane one of the more vocal sceptics at the time:

A solid, albeit unspectacular, debut season followed in north London, with 31 of Rice’s 51 games in all competitions coming in a number six role, as per Transfermarkt, with Arteta experimenting with Kai Havertz in the first half of the season in that left-sided number eight role.

Those 31 games yielded just three goals and four assists, although with the likes of Jorginho and Thomas Partey deployed more frequently heading into 2024, Rice’s 19 games as more of a box-to-box central midfielder saw him register ten goals and assists.

Indeed, that shift became something of a permanent one in 2024/25, with the one-time Chelsea youth man registering 16 goals and assists from his 37 games as a central midfielder, while providing just three goal involvements from 15 games in his deep-lying berth.

Of course, shifting into a more attacking role has aided that increase in final third contributions, although plaudits should fall to Arteta for spotting his attacking potential from the off.

Perhaps, a similar scenario could lie in store for Rice’s midfield colleague, Martin Zubimendi…

Arsenal's new Declan Rice

Part of the Gunners’ success again this term has been the continued deployment of Rice as a number eight, with the arrival of an orthodox midfield metronome, in the form of Zubimendi, bringing real balance to Arteta’s midfield unit.

Signed for a fee of around £60m from Real Sociedad, following prior interest from Liverpool, the Spaniard has taken to Premier League life like a duck to water, starting every league game to date this season.

As Rice has said himself, his new teammate is “so easy to play with”, with the pair seemingly hitting it off right from the start, rather than needing any period of adaptation.

Sitting in that role in front of the back four, Zubimendi is a master at pulling the strings, both for club and country, currently ranking in the top 11% of Premier League midfielders for pass completion, as well as in the top 9% for attempted passes per 90, as per FBref.

Also ranked in the top 16% for aerial duels won, the 26-year-old mops up so effectively in the centre of the park, rubberstamping the opinion that he is something of a ‘Rodri clone’, in the view of Spanish football expert, Graham Hunter.

Like 2023 Champions League final goalscorer, Rodri – and like Rice too – might there be more to Zubimendi’s game than just prioritising his defensive work? Could Arteta also get a tune out of him in an attacking sense, too?

Indeed, Zubimendi’s midweek performance away in Bruges showed flashes of what he can do in the final third, having provided two assists in Arsenal’s comfortable 3-0 victory.

Of course, with Rice already the all-action figure in the midfield, it’s not as Zubimendi would suddenly join him in bombing forward at every opportunity, albeit with Wednesday highlighting that Arteta should allow his compatriot to let the handbrake off on occasion.

While his first assist for Noni Madueke was nothing to shout about, the new man’s second was far more eye-catching, bursting down the left wing before producing a delightful back-post cross on his weaker foot.

In all, in the absence of Rice, the £60m man registered six key passes in total on the night, while creating three big chances, as per Sofascore, indicating that he can emulate the Englishman, if and when he is needed.

Already, he looks like the greatest success story of the Gunners’ summer recruitment, with Viktor Gyokeres scoring just four league goals, while Eberechi Eze was notably hooked at the break against Aston Villa, following arguably his poorest display to date.

That viewpoint is reinforced by his rising market value too, with Zubimendi now deemed to be €75m (£66m), according to Transfermarkt, while Gyokeres and Eze are deemed to be valued at €70m (£61m) and €65m (£57m), respectively.

Unlike that attack-minded pairing, the Euro 2024 winner has hit the ground running at the Emirates. As Wednesday indicated, however, there’s plenty more to his game still be discovered.

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Freddie Freeman cemented himself in Los Angeles Dodgers history with his walk-off grand slam in Game 1 of the 2024 World Series against the New York Yankees.

The first baseman, playing through an ankle injury that left him hobbled throughout the postseason, set the tone for the entire series with his game-winning hit. Without the Game 1 win, manager Dave Roberts believes that the World Series would've been a coin-flip, despite the fact that Los Angeles took home the title in just five games.

"If we lose Game 1, I think the series goes seven games. As we all know, Game 7 is a flip of a coin," Roberts told for a story on the impact of Freeman's hit.

Yankees catcher Austin Wells and pitcher Nestor Cortes (now with the Milwaukee Brewers)—New York's battery for the at-bat—concurred with Roberts, with Wells saying, "It changed the whole World Series. As simple as that."

"We win Game 1—which we should have—we lost 2 and 3, we win Game 4 and we should have won Game 5. Then we go back to L.A., up 3 to 2," said Cortes.

The Dodgers won tight Games 2 and 3, each by a 4–2 score, before the Yankees got on the board with a definitive 11–4 win in Game 4. L.A. took the series in Game 5, coming back from down 5–0 thanks in large part to a series of defensive meltdowns by New York in the fifth inning.

It could have gone much differently without the dramatic finish to Game 1.

"I would like to say we’d still win the series because we had a really good team and we were playing really good baseball. But you don’t know," said Freeman.

Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney has clarified whether he will be joining the cast of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here contestants in 2025. The ex-England international saw his wife Coleen star on that show last year, with her stock soaring after a runner-up finish, and it has been suggested that Wayne could tread a similar path to the Australian jungle.

Packed schedule: Why Rooney has never appeared on I'm A Celeb

Rooney has never previously been in a position to accept an offer from ITV due to his commitments in professional football. After representing the likes of United and Everton as a player, he moved into coaching with Derby when retiring in 2021. He has since spent time in the dugout with D.C. United, Birmingham and Plymouth.

He was calling the shots at Home Park when Coleen headed Down Under in 2024 – leaving him watching on from afar as she was subjected to Bushtucker Trials. Rooney left that role in December 2024 and has since returned to punditry duty with Match of the Day and Amazon Prime.

AdvertisementGettyAngryginge & Aitch: Rooney would have fun in Australian jungle

He could now be lured to Oz, having seen what his wife had to go through, with close friends Angryginge and Aitch reported to be among the contestants being lined up for an I’m A Celeb stint in 2025. Rooney is, however, adamant that he will not be heading to New South Wales on this occasion.

Speaking on , he said of potentially joining YouTube star and passionate United fan Angryginge in the jungle: “I spoke to him last night and he was still in England so I don't know if he is… No, Ginge is a great lad and I've seen who's linked as well, so if he is in there I'm sure he'll be really entertaining. If he's in it and Aitch is in it as well, I'm gutted that I didn't go in because I think the three of us could have been real fun in there.

“I'd be all right with the food situation, but I get bored and some of the challenges, you know, the snakes and there was one a few years ago with the big ostrich. I wouldn't like that. I love the show and obviously Coleen was in it last year and maybe at some point but not this year, unfortunately.”

Would Rooney like to appear on I'm A Celeb?

Rooney has previously said of stepping out of his comfort zone and into the world of reality TV: “Definitely not Strictly! I can’t dance. But, no, (I’m A Celebrity) is something I would never say no to, of course.

“I think I said on the after show when Coleen was in the jungle, that was the one we’ve always watched and the one we both said if there was anything we’d do it’d be that. So, you never know in the future, but I’ve got other things I’m looking at at the minute.”

Coleen is benefitting from her time in Australia, having won a new legion of followers, with one of the most famous WAGs in English football now considered to boast greater marketing appeal than her legendary husband.

Celebrity and PR expert Chad Teixeira has told : “If she continues to play her cards right, the next five years could see her earning up to £40 million across various ventures. She’s no longer just ‘Wayne Rooney’s wife’ – she’s a brand in her own right.”

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Getty/GOALPunditry & Disney documentary: Rooney's immediate future

That rise to prominence has allowed the Rooneys to sign a reported £10m ($13m) deal with Disney+ for an ‘At Home With’ documentary series. Wayne will be stepping in front of the cameras there, with an insider telling : “They could be bigger than not just the Beckhams, but the Kardashians. Obviously, Wayne’s work as a manager hasn’t gone as they’d have hoped, but they’re seeing this as a new chapter. There’s been so many rumours and so much drama around them, they’re going to set the record straight on a few things too.”

With that production still to come, and match coverage duty to contend with during the current Premier League campaign and 2026 World Cup, it looks like being at least 12 months before Wayne considers a bid to better Coleen’s efforts on I’m A Celeb.

MatériaMais Notícias

Principal referência ofensiva do Santos na temporada, Marcos Leonardo entrou na lista dos 50 maiores artilheiros da história do clube ao quebrar longo tabu contra o Palmeiras.

+ Veja tabela do Campeonato Brasileiro-2023 clicando aqui

Detentor de 53 gols com a camisa do Alvinegro Praiano, o centroavante, de 20 anos, igualou a marca de Evangelista ao encerrar incômoda sequência de quatro anos sem vencer o rival Alviverde.

+ Garanta a sua vaga no curso que formou craques como Pet, Dante e Léo Moura! Cupom: LANCE1000

O Menino da Vila disputou 157partidas pelo Santos para alcançar este número. Na atual temporada, o atleta possui 20 gols e é disparado o maior artilheiro do Peixe no ano. Confira a seguir a lista completa dos artilheiros do clube:

OS 50 MAIORES ARTILHEIROS DA HISTÓRIA DO SANTOS

1º – Pelé: 1091 gols
2º – Pepe: 403 gols
3º – Coutinho: 368 gols
4º- Toninho Guerreiro: 279 gols
5º- Feitiço: 215 gols
6º – Dorval: 194 gols
7º- Araken Patusca: 184 gols
8º – Edu: 184 gols
9º – Pagão: 157 gols
10º – Tite: 151 gols
11º – Camarão: 147 gols
12º – Antoninho: 144 gols
13º- Neymar: 138 gols
14º- Odair: 135 gols
15º – Raul Cabral: 120 gols
16º – Vasconcelos: 115 gols
17º – Robinho: 111 gols
18º – Ary Patusca: 111 gols
19º – Álvaro: 107 gols
20º – Del Vecchio: 106 gols
21º – Serginho Chulapa: 104 gols
22º – João Paulo: 103 gols
23º – Juary: 101 gols
24º – Ruy: 98 gols
25º – Gradim: 95 gols
26º – Ricardo Oliveira: 92 gols
27º – Kléber Pereira: 86 gols
28º – Gabriel: 84 gols
29º – Siriri: 82 gols
30º – Douglas: 77 gols
31º – Guga: 74 gols
32º – Arnaldo Silveira: 74 gols
33º- Giovanni – gols: 73
34º – Mário Seixas – gols: 69
35º – Elano – gols: 68
36º – Viola – gols: 64
37º – Lima – gols: 63
38º – Nicácio – gols: 62
39º – Deivid – gols: 61
40º – Macedo – gols: 61
41º – Nenê Belarmino – gols: 60
42º – Dodô – gols: 59
43º – Zito – gols: 57
44º – Victor Gonçalves – gols: 57
45º – Paulinho McLaren – gols: 57
46º – Logu – gols: 56
47º- Haroldo Pires Domingues – gols: 56
48º – Pita – gols: 55
49º – Constantino – gols: 54
50º – Evangelista – gols: 53
50º (empatado) – Marcos Leonardo – gols: 53

Manchester City continued to build this season as they defeated Villarreal in Spain to stretch to seven points from three Champions League outings this season.

Pep Guardiola’s side still aren’t at their rip-roaring best, but considering they are now nine matches undefeated across all competitions, they will take plenty of positives back to the Etihad before heading to Aston Villa for a Premier League clash on Sunday.

While the Citizens as a whole are not firing on all cylinders, they are certainly getting there. And when Erling Haaland is in such unstoppable, undefinably brilliant form, it raises the level of the unit and then some.

Erling Haaland's incredible Man City form continues

He can’t stop scoring. How many times have we heard that hackneyed football saying? Well, for Haaland, it’s a truism: the Norwegian striker truly cannot stop finding the back of the net, with his first-half goal against the Yellow Submarine extending his scoring streak to 12 consecutive fixtures for club and country.

With 18 goals from 14 recent Man City games, there’s no doubt that Guardiola wields one of the most devastating strikers in the world. But then we’ve all known that for a while.

Against Villarreal, he was at his trademark best. 12 touches, four successful passes. The 25-year-old lost all three duels (data via Sofascore).

He’s not an expansive striker, and he doesn’t need to be. Haaland is, quite simply, a world-class purveyor of goals.

He is fuelled by a hard-working and dynamic supporting cast, and there was one man in particular who continued his fine form at the Estadi de la Ceramica, surely enjoying his most colourful purple patch in a City shirt.

The Man City star in the form of his career

Guardiola once said Matheus Nunes is among the best players in the world.

He since amended that statement, but there’s no question that the sagacious Spaniard saw something special in the Portuguese talent and signed him when he could.

Refashioned from midfielder to right-back, Nunes has ebbed and flowed in a Manchester City shirt, but he’s been brilliant all season.

After impressing against Everton at the weekend, he put in a stunning showing against Villarreal, with reporter Simon Bajkowski noting he was “outplaying Villarreal every time” down the right flank.

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As per the norm, City dominated the possession, and they made their control count, with Nunes instrumental in the build-up, completing 97 of 99 attempted passes, taking 110 touches and recovering three loose balls. He won four of five duels.

The 27-year-old was handed an 8/10 match rating by the Daily Express, praised for the completeness of his performance. He defended well and combined neatly with Savinho throughout, showcasing a revival of concentration and rarely suffering the defensive lapses that had plagued him and kept him on the sidelines for much of his early Manchester career.

25/26

9 (6)

621′

24/25

43 (33)

2,914′

23/24

29 (14)

1,360′

Though there will be some who continue to champion the arrival of a natural right-back in the future, Guardiola has always been an outside-the-box thinker, and he’s finally got Nunes playing to his tune.

Nunes is in the finest form of his Man City career, and with a continuation of this resurgence, he will only strengthen Pep’s fight for more silverware and the wider understanding that, no, in spite of Haaland’s brilliance, City are much more than a one-man team.

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MatériaMais Notícias

O São Paulo demonstrou interesse por mais um jogador do Flamengo. Desta vez, Thiago Maia entrou na mira do Tricolor. O Lance! apurou que existiu uma sondagem e um contato com os empresários do jogador.

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Entretanto, ainda não houve apresentação de proposta. Um dos pontos que explica o interesse são-paulino é a boa relação do volante com Dorival Júnior. Além do treinador gostar muito do atleta, Thiago Maia era titular absoluto quando o técnico tricolor comandava o Rubro-Negro.

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Thiago Maia seria mais uma opção para o meio-campo do time, posição “inchada” no elenco do Tricolor. O setor conta com fortes nomes, como Rodrigo Nestor, Pablo Maia, Alisson e Gabriel Neves, além de Luan e Jhegson Méndez.

NÃO É O PRIMEIRO

Desde a conquista da Copa do Brasil contra o Rubro-Negro, o São Paulo demonstrou interesse em mais dois jogadores do rival: Bruno Henrique e Everton Ribeiro.

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Sobre Bruno Henrique, o Tricolor está com o atleta no radar. O jogador também trabalhou com Dorival Júnior durante a passagem do técnico na equipe carioca, mas não existem propostas oficiais por enquanto. O atacante deve retomar em breve as conversas de renovação com o Flamengo, que haviam sido paralisadas pelas finais da Copa do Brasil.

Quanto a Everton Ribeiro, a situação é parecida. Ele também está sendo monitorado, mas até então não recebeu propostas. Seu contrato, assim como do companheiro, se encerra no final do ano. Thiago Maia, por sua vez, tem contrato até 2026.

IZABELLA GIANNOLA* colaborou sobre o supervisão de Rafael Oliva