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Lauren James stepped off the bench to make another telling contribution for Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, as they battled to a 1-0 win over Arsenal.

The WSL leaders appeared set to drop points for just the second time this season as the clock ticked down in west London.

Catarina Macario had endured a frustrating afternoon in front of goal, but the Brazilian was not left to count the cost of her misses.

Millie Bright and Lucy Bronze did a decent job of containing the threat posed by England colleagues Alessia Russo and Beth Mead, with defences on top for the most part.

James was, however, to lure Kim Little into a risky challenge inside the penalty area with eight minutes remaining, and Guro Reiten showed no sign of nerves as she rolled the resulting spot-kick into the bottom corner.

GOAL rates Chelsea’s players at Stamford Bridge…

GettyGoalkeeper & Defence

Hannah Hampton (6/10):

Relieved to discover that Arsenal’s forwards did not have their shooting boots on, with the majority of efforts on goal from the Gunners failing to threaten the target.

Lucy Bronze (6/10):

Not involved as an attacking threat as much as she would like, and found herself chasing balls in behind on too many occasions.

Nathalie Bjorn (5/10):

Can dive into challenges, allowing her to be beaten easily as others are forced to clean up the mess that she failed to deal with.

Millie Bright (7/10):

Alessia Russo’s quick feet troubled the Chelsea captain in the first half, but the commanding England international stood up to that test well.

Niamh Charles (6/10):

Needed to stay alert against a lively Arsenal forward line and put in one vital block which deflected a close-range effort from Beth Mead wide of the target.

AdvertisementGettyMidfield

Johanna Rytting Kaneryd (6/10):

The Blues were looking for more creativity from those in the final third, but their Swedish star struggled to get going.

Erin Cuthbert (7/10):

Set the tempo of play for Chelsea in the middle of the park and was always willing to press high and be a nuisance, while going close with one strike from distance.

Sjoeke Nusken (6/10):

Effort can never be called into question and helped to prevent Arsenal from carving out too many chances, while also dropping in as a third centre-half.

Sandy Baltimore (5/10):

Capable of offering much more and was replaced shortly after firing a wild shot high over the crossbar, which rather summed up her afternoon.

GettyAttack

Catarina Macario (5/10):

Had a sight of goal inside the opening 60 seconds, but said failure to find the net set the tone for a frustrating outing that saw the Brazilian fluff her lines.

Mayra Ramirez (5/10):

Struggled to get into the game after being charged with the task of leading the line and it came as little surprise to see her replaced at half-time.

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Maika Hamano (6/10):

Introduced at the break to add more legs in midfield, as Macario was pushed up top, and was subjected to some heavy challenges.

Lauren James (7/10):

Has previously starred at Stamford Bridge, with the Lionesses forward showing quick feet to win the penalty that settled the contest.

Guro Reiten (7/10):

Proved to be the match winner as she confidently stepped up to the spot after being introduced off the bench.

Aggie Beever-Jones (6/10):

Made little impact on proceedings as the Blues battled their way over the line against opponents that finished with 10 players on the pitch.

Sonia Bampastor (7/10):

Has previously admitted how much dropped points annoy her and will be delighted to have seen substitutes make an impact.

Jhulan Goswami, Beth Mooney, Nicola Carey and a whole heap of drama

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Sep-2021One of the greatest ODIs played in Australia came down to an extraordinary final over with the experienced Jhulan Goswami went up against Beth Mooney, who had produced a masterful century after the home side had been in early trouble, and Nicola Carey. Here’s how the drama unfolded49.1 Goswami to Mooney, 3 runs
Full toss, swung off the pads through midwicket and Mooney makes it back for the second…AND THERE’S AN OVERTHROW. But it means Mooney is off strike49.2 Goswami to Carey, 2 runs
Full outside leg stump, heaved into the leg side and there’s another misfield which allows the second49.3 Goswami to Carey, (no ball)
Oh dear! That’s a beamer which has clattered straight into Carey’s helmet. Of course it’s a no-ball. Main thing is Carey okay? Seems like but that was a horrendous blow49.3 Goswami to Carey, 1 bye
They steal a bye! Was very well bowled, full outside leg, Carey didn’t connect but Mooney was alert49.4 Goswami to Mooney, 1 leg bye
Moves right across outside off, tries to scoop but it’s only single towards short fine leg49.5 Goswami to Carey, 2 runs
Full outside off, dragged down towards long-on, they get back for the second! Oh boy49.6 Goswami to Carey, (no ball)
Full toss, caught at midwicket! But they are going to check for the height. What drama. India are celebrating. It’s VERY close. What will the third umpire decide? It could easily be called no-ball this. There’s some rocking and rolling here. They are still looking at this. Crazy end to the game. IT’S A NO-BALL!!!49.6 Goswami to Carey, 2 runs
Full and straight, clipped into midwicket and Mooney makes it back for the second. An extraordinary victory for Australia to keep the streak alive.

Philippe Clement is a man under pressure in the Glasgow Rangers hotseat. Across 14 competitive matches this season, the Light Blues have won only eight times, hardly the form of a team fighting for trophies on all fronts.

Against Kilmarnock recently, the starting XI looked afraid to push into the opponent’s final third, with Killie registering a higher xG stat from open play than the Gers during the contest, a damning indictment of how poor the team has become under Clement of late.

During the transfer window, the Belgian knew he had to get things spot on, otherwise, it would likely be another one-horse race in the Premiership. While several signings have settled in well and shown that they might be a key part of the future, the majority have struggled.

Rangers' summer 2024 transfer business

The main priority for Clement after the 2023/24 season ended was bringing the wage bill down significantly. The likes of Borna Barisic, John Lundstram, Kemar Roofe and Ryan Jack all departed when their contracts expired, saving the club around £77k-per-week in the process.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast's Where Are They Now series.

Combine this with the fact the club also moved on Connor Goldson and Sam Lammers, who earned £55k-per-week between them, and it was evident the wage bill had been reduced effectively, freeing up funds for Clement to bring in his own players.

Establishing a player trading model appeared to be his main focus, signing Connor Barron, Clinton Nsiala, Jefte, Oscar Cortes and Hamza Igamane, who were all aged 22 or under upon arriving at Ibrox.

Player

Club signed from

Connor Barron

Aberdeen

Clinton Nsiala

AC Milan

Liam Kelly

Motherwell

Vaclav Cerny

Wolfsburg (loan)

Oscar Cortes

Lens

Mohamed Diomande

FC Nordsjaelland

Hamza Igamane

AS FAR

Jefte

Fluminense

Robin Propper

FC Twente

Nedim Bajrami

Sassuolo

Neraysho Kasanwirjo

Feyenoord (loan)

Jefte and Barron have featured 14 and 11 times respectively for the first team this season, while the jury is still out on Cortes and Igamane. Time will be given to those who don’t have much experience, but can the same be said for those who have arrived with plenty to prove?

Robin Propper was expected to be the heir apparent to Goldson, but he hasn’t exactly hit the ground running so far. Nedim Bajrami has shown plenty of promise, although he has been forced to play on the left wing rather than through the middle due to injury issues.

Vaclav Cerny was a signing who, on the surface, looked like having all the hallmarks of being an excellent one. A winger who is entering his prime years and scored four times in the Bundesliga last season.

The reality, however, has been very different.

Vaclav Cerny’s season in numbers

Registering three goals and two assists in 13 games since joining the Ibrox side hints at a positive start, but more often than not, the Czech gem has played poorly.

His struggles have been apparent in Europe especially. In the first two Europa League fixtures, Cerny has missed two big chances, succeeded with just 0.5 dribbles per game and created zero big chances. These are the matches where Clement expects big things from the former Ajax gem.

His two-goal salvo against St Johnstone before the international break skews things slightly with regard to his domestic statistics, but it is clear the winger needs to improve massively.

Over the previous few years, the Gers have struggled to find effective widemen capable of contributing goals and assists, while also creating plenty of chances.

They released someone in 2012 who is now starring across the pond and would make a big difference to the current first team – Lewis Morgan.

The Rangers star who left for nothing

The current New York Red Bulls star joined the Rangers academy back in 2004 when he was aged just eight, going on to spend the next eight years at Auchenhowie before being released in 2012.

Not to be deterred by his release from the Ibrox side, Morgan soon joined St Mirren and went on to make 118 appearances for the Buddies over the next six years, scoring 29 goals while registering 23 assists for the club.

It didn’t take long for his form to get noticed, as Celtic lured him back to Glasgow in 2018, but his spell at Parkhead was hardly wonderful, scoring only twice in 31 games for the club.

A move to the MLS in 2020 has proven to be the catalyst for him to kickstart his career, first shining for Inter Miami before joining New York Red Bulls in 2021.

Lewis Morgan’s season statistics

Hailed as “dynamic” by his former Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers, the Scot has exuded this quality for his club side during the 2024 MLS campaign.

Across 31 matches in all competitions, Morgan has registered 20 goal contributions – 13 goals and seven assists – while also creating 13 big chances, averaging 1.7 key passes per game and succeeding with one dribble each match.

Compare this to Cerny, who has scored only eight goals since the start of the 2023/24 campaign, chipping in with just three assists, suggesting Morgan would have been a far more effective threat out wide than the Czech winger.

When compared to his positional peers, Morgan ranks in the top 5% for shot-creating actions, progressive carries and progressive passes over the previous 365 days. Cerny, in comparison, doesn’t even rank in the top 50% for these metrics when compared to players in similar leagues over the same timeframe.

This is yet more evidence of how much better Morgan is at the moment over the current Rangers loanee.

Still ‘only’ 28, Morgan’s market value could continue to rise following his excellent showings this season. Indeed, according to Transfermarkt, the forward is currently valued at €5m (£4m).

Of course, the Light Blues didn’t know back in 2012 how good a player Morgan was going to be, releasing him due to his physical stature. After years of developing in Scotland, he took the plunge and moved to America.

This has not only revitalised his career, but also seen the player establish himself as a more permanent fixture in the Scottish national team setup, playing five times under Steve Clarke.

If Clement was able to call on him rather than Cerny, then perhaps the Gers might have scored a few more goals. For that there is no doubt.

Rangers had a starlet who was like "Wayne Rooney", then he left for £0

Rangers thought they had a Wayne Rooney-like talent on their hands, then he was released.

ByDan Emery Oct 23, 2024

Manchester United legend Ruud van Nistelrooy has explained how the “greatest development” allowed Cristiano Ronaldo to become the “best in the world”.

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Teenager joined Red Devils in 2003Went on to become an all-time greatStill going strong at 40 years of ageFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Prolific frontman Van Nistelrooy was already at Old Trafford when the Red Devils snapped up the potential of teenage Ronaldo in 2003. The Dutch striker did not make life easy for his Portuguese colleague, with it revealed that training ground arguments left CR7 in tears.

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Ronaldo was, however, prepared to work hard on maximising his talent – with that relentless pursuit of perfection still serving him well at 40 years of age. The all-time great remains a talismanic presence for Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr and his country.

WHAT RUUD VAN NISTELROOY SAID

Van Nistelrooy is not surprised by Ronaldo’s success and longevity, with the former United star – who is now in charge of Leicester – saying of the hottest prospects that he has witnessed: “There are so many – but seeing a young Cristiano Ronaldo come into the Manchester United dressing room and develop, within three years, into the best player in the world, was the greatest development I've ever seen.

“So if you see how he works, how he lives his life to be the best he can be – that's the elite standard. He came into our dressing room with those standards, and he's said in interviews, I came into that dressing room and I had to live up to those standards every day.

“He was open to learn and improve, and he worked and worked and worked every day, on the pitch, in the gym, in the recovery sessions, in his food, in his treatment. When you have seen those standards at the highest level, and you experience what that is – there are not many players who know that – so I was lucky.

“I feel privileged that I can share that knowledge, and they became my standards. So when I see Cristiano or a 19-year-old Xavi Simons come from Paris (Saint-Germain) on a free – he believed in the pathway at PSV with me as the manager, with the training model we have to improve young players. He bought into it and the rest is history. It's standards and talent combined.”

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GettyWHAT NEXT?

Ronaldo won the first of his Champions League crowns and Ballons d’Or while on United’s books and has gone on to become the greatest goalscorer that the world has ever seen, with it his intention to reach 1,000 efforts in that department before any thought is given to retirement.

Batter says he had previously felt more secure only under Gambhir’s leadership at Kolkata Knight Riders

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Oct-20214:28

Gambhir: ‘Credit to Dhoni for persisting with Uthappa’

Batter Robin Uthappa said Chennai Super Kings’ culture of “making sure all players within the group felt secure” helped him retain his belief after not playing for the majority of the 2021 IPL season. Uthappa contributed with 63 off 44 balls in the first qualifier against Delhi Capitals on Sunday to set a strong foundation for Super Kings’ chase of 173.”The culture in the group is that everyone will get an opportunity,” Uthappa told Star Sports Tamil after the game. “I started the first game well, but didn’t kick on from there. After that I got out playing shots that I’d have backed myself to play positively. I knew I had to be positive and express myself.”I was sitting out for 10 matches and was wondering how to help. It was eating away at me and I had self-doubts. I was trying to help by doing whatever I can, like bringing them water, but to get an opportunity to actually go out to the middle and add value, it’s something I’m grateful for.”Watch the IPL on ESPN+

Sign up for ESPN+ and catch all the action from the IPL live in the US. Match highlights of Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Capitals is available here in English, and here in Hindi (US only).

Apart from Super Kings, Uthappa said he had previously felt more secure in an IPL team only under Gautam Gambhir’s leadership at Kolkata Knight Riders.”At KKR I had a similar experience under Gautam,” he said. “He’d make sure all players within the group felt secure. So the players always felt like giving back to the franchise. After that, this is the first time I’m experiencing that kind of security. You’re thinking of helping and giving back to the team.”After losing Faf du Plessis in the first over, Uthappa and Ruturaj Gaikwad, who passed 600 runs this season on Sunday, put on a 110-run partnership for the second wicket in just 77 balls. Uthappa also celebrated his fifty with a unique sign, a gesture that indicated “the love within the group”.Robin Uthappa on his celebration: “The three finger sign is the love within the group”•BCCI”We just wanted to rotate the strike and build the partnership,” Uthappa said. “First six overs, we didn’t want to lose a wicket. Seventh onwards we decided it didn’t matter even if we were getting only 6-7 an over, let’s take the game deep.”I’ve always had the energy, despite my size. I run well between the wickets. We’d always decided that one side in this ground is bigger than the other, so we targeted the boundaries against the spinners accordingly. When we’re batting to the bigger side, we targeted the boundaries straight. We just didn’t want to lose wickets.”Uthappa also said that though “many had written Dhoni off”, he is the best at what he does. “It’s very heartening to see from the outside,” he said. “Many had written him off, but when the situation arises, he met the challenge. He’s the best at this. All of us in the dressing room wanted him to go out and do it.”Mahi had said we have the best fans, and I agree. When I joined, I said I don’t know how to whistle, but will make you all whistle. Hopefully we can do that after winning the final.”

The former U.S. goalkeeper will be pitted against her former teammates in the 7v7 competition this June

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Hope Solo enters team into TST 2025USWNT legend set to compete for $1M prizeWill play against former USWNT teammatesFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

U.S. women's national team legend Hope Solo has announced that she is creating and entering her own team into The Soccer Tournament (TST) 2025 this summer in Cary, North Carolina.

The 7v7 World Championship event with a $1 million prize will sport a 16-team field this summer, double the size from the 2024 event that saw U.S. legend Heather O'Reilly lead her team to glory in the tournament.

Solo, who won two Gold Medals and a FIFA World Cup title with the USWNT, will return to the field with “Solo FC" marking her first return to the pitch in competitive fashion since 2016.

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"I am incredibly excited not only to enter Solo FC in The Soccer Tournament but also make my comeback to the field at one of the most exciting events in soccer right now,” Solo said. “TST has done some amazing things to grow the game for women and I’m proud to be a part of it. I’m as competitive as ever, and I can’t wait to unveil the team that will win the $1 million grand prize.”

The former goalkeeper's squad will consist of current and former professionals, as well as collegiate athletes, while player announcements for Solo FC will be made at a later date via official team and TST social media accounts.

“We are excited to welcome one of the greatest women’s soccer players of all time to Cary,” said TST Founder and CEO Jon Mugar. “Watching Hope take the field again will get fans on their feet and add another layer of excitement to TST.”

AFPWHAT SOLO SAID

Speaking exclusively to INDIVISA, Solo added and shared her excitement for the coming months.

"Can't wait to debut the most dynamic, diverse, and dedicated team that women's soccer has ever seen — Solo FC," she said. "It's only fitting that I make my return to soccer at the most bada*s tournament in the world where people from all walks of life can enjoy the beautiful game in a spectacular and pulse-pounding new format."

And Solo is clearly motivated to compete.

"Solo FC will be compiled with players willing to fight, willing to play with one another, willing to play for one another, and will be pure of passion and joy," she said. "We will work down to our bones, and leave it all on the field. The Solo FC logo represents that commitment. I hope you come to love Solo FC and our players' individual journeys. Get to know us and our team."

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DID YOU KNOW?

Solo will be competing against former teammates O'Reilly, Carli Lloyd and Ali Krieger among others in the competition.

The quick bowler’s first delivery set the tone against South Africa in a superb powerplay display

Andrew McGlashan25-Oct-20213:30

Moody: Many don’t appreciate the quality Hazlewood brings

After all the talk about which of Australia’s Test match quicks would miss out in their T20 World Cup opener against South Africa, the trio of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins played together in the format for the first time.And for Hazlewood, his first spell – which read 2-1-1-2 inside the powerplay – was a performance that would not look out of place on the opening day against England at the Gabba in six weeks.Of the three quicks, Hazlewood is the one who has made the late surge into Australia’s T20 plans after finally being able to get a run of games in West Indies and Bangladesh before a successful stint with Chennai Super Kings.After discussions about how he needed to adapt to the T20 format, it was during that spell with Super Kings, where he worked with Stephen Fleming and Eric Simons, that Hazlewood was encouraged to utilise the strengths that make him such a fine bowler in Tests and ODIs.Related

Langer says Australia will be flexible in selections

Are Australia ready to unleash Hazlewood 2.0 at the T20 World Cup?

Hazlewood leads bowlers' show as Australia clinch nail-biter in opening Super 12s fixture

ESPNcricinfo’s data shows that during the IPL, his deliveries logged as length or short-of-a-good-length had a combined economy rate of 7.40. When he went full or short that ballooned out to 12.85.It could not have gone much better in Abu Dhabi. First delivery he found the edge of Rassie van der Dussen with a short-of-a-length delivery and then, having seen Quinton de Kock play on via his thigh pad, he kept Heinrich Klassen scoreless for five balls.”I’ve probably gone the opposite way now,” he said of his T20 thinking. “Chatting about how batters are probably expecting that you to change if you are hit for four or six. Think the wickets are a little different here as well, but it’s about keep doing the same thing and make them hit fours and sixes off your good deliveries – just above the stumps, a hard length. That seemed to work for the last few weeks in the IPL and again [against South Africa]. You have to weight it up and move forward with what works best.Josh Hazlewood removed Rassie van der Dussen with his first ball•ICC via Getty”Every game is different and that’s what I’ve learned over the last few weeks. It’s about getting everything in order at training and preparing yourself for anything, then summing it up as a bowling group once you are out there.”There was a glimpse of the alternative way things can go when Hazlewood bowled his last over, the 17th of the innings, which began with Aiden Markram swatting him over deep midwicket for six in what was the joint-most expensive over of the innings costing 12. Australia will also come up against batting line-ups with more confidence during the group stage.”You have to weigh up where the boundaries are bigger, who you are bowling at, so it’s about thinking on your feet and preparing for every situation,” Hazlewood said of still having the need to adjust. “There’s certainly a place for line and length then there’s times where it doesn’t work.”Having played their first game in the day time, Australia’s next two outings are evening matches against Sri Lanka and England in Dubai. Other teams have focused on the dew factor – England went as far as training with wet balls while Virat Kohli said it had a bit of an impact against Pakistan – but Hazlewood did not see it as being decisive.”The conditions don’t change a lot there. They probably change more at Sharjah and Abu Dhabi. The Dubai wicket maintains it pretty well. There might be a slight advantage in batting second.”

As it was last year, this season has already been something of a roller coaster for Tottenham Hotspur.

The Lilywhites looked somewhat off the pace in their opening games, but in the last month or so, Ange Postecoglou’s men have looked like a seriously threatening side, even if there are still some issues to be resolved, as the loss to Brighton & Hove Albion made clear.

In fact, the North Londoners’ haul of 18 league goals is currently the second-best return in the competition and only one behind Manchester City, who have the frankly inhuman Erling Haaland leading the line.

Yet, it would appear that Daniel Levy and Co are looking to strengthen their already magnificent attack in the upcoming January transfer window, as according to recent reports, the club are keen on a Premier League striker who has won comparisons to Haaland and is currently outscoring Dominic Solanke.

Spurs transfer news

According to a recent report from Caught Offside, Tottenham are leading the race for Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap ahead of the January transfer window.

The report claims that while the Lilywhites are ahead at the moment, the Englishman’s fine form has seen the likes of Newcastle United, Aston Villa, Arsenal and his former club, Manchester City, all take notice ahead of what could be an intense battle for his services.

While this level of interest is far from ideal for the North Londoners, the good news is that 21-year-old shouldn’t cost a fortune. The report has revealed that an offer in the region of €40m, £33m, should tempt the Tractor Boys into selling.

Now, this is still a sizeable fee, but given his fine form this season, the comparison to Haaland, and the fact that he’s outscoring Solanke, it could prove to be a long-term bargain.

Delap's comparisons to Haaland and Solanke

Okay, so let’s start with the comparison to Haaland, and while some may deem it ever so slightly outrageous, it was first made by AP correspondent James Robson in September 2020, who said of the then 17-year-old forward that he had “a look of Haaland about him.”

Now, Robson based this opinion on the physical stature and goalscoring ability of the teenager at the time and considering he racked up an imposing tally of 46 goals and 16 assists in 55 appearances for City’s various youth sides, it’s not hard to see where he was coming from.

Moreover, while the Winchester-born poacher only made six first-team appearances for the club, this season has shown that he can be an effective Premier League goalscorer when given the opportunity to consistently start games.

Appearances

9

9

Minutes

634′

685′

Goals

4

3

Goals per Game

0.44

0.33

Minutes per Goal

158′

228′

For example, in his nine appearances so far this year, eight of which have come in the league, the England U21 star has scored four goals, which is one more than Soalnke has managed in as many games and in a far more dangerous team.

With that said, even if Levy and Co were able to get their hands on Ipswich’s “exceptional” talent in January, as dubbed by former professional Glenn Murray, he would likely come in as a backup for the £65m man at least for now, and given his age, that could be the best option for all involved.

It would allow Postecoglou to keep playing the former Bournemouth star while having a young, hungry, talented and reliable striker to come off the bench when needed and start in cup games, thus keeping the spotlight off of him and improving the overall quality of the squad.

Ultimately, while fans shouldn’t expect Delap to immediately come into the starting lineup and displace the talented Solanke, bringing him to N17 seems like a no-brainer if Levy and Co want to ensure Postecoglou has the best tools at his disposal – and the comparisons to Haaland are certainly a nice bonus.

Brennan Johnson is now being outperformed by a player Spurs let go for £0

Spurs may have made a mistake in allowing the talent to leave the club.

1 ByEthan Lamb Oct 23, 2024

Tottenham and Ange Postecoglou have already identified their priority January target as they look to push their way up the Premier League table, according to a fresh report.

Tottenham enjoying strange season

Tottenham’s season has been a curious one so far. The club have lost four of their opening ten games, with a particularly poor defeat coming against Crystal Palace, but in the last seven days they have knocked Manchester City out of the Carabao Cup before coming from 1-0 down to thrash Aston Villa 4-1, both in front of 60,000 fans at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Their results leave them seventh in the top flight, above Brighton on goal difference and just two points behind north London rivals Arsenal and Sunday’s opponents Aston Villa.

Spurs have a "monster" who's just shown showed why he's their new Dembele

Spurs have a “monster” in their ranks who could be the club’s next Mousa Dembele.

ByMatt Dawson Nov 4, 2024

They are also in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup, while they have won each of their opening three Europa League games to sit second behind Lazio. After their most recent victory, Ange Postecoglou admitted he was happy with how his side had gone through the gears against Villa, especially in the second half.

“Villa are a good side. The first half was a bit of an arm wrestle. They have a consistent level of performance. We have other gears in us which we showed in the second half.

“Seven days is a long time in football. Seven days ago I was a grumpy old so and so. We have to stay true to the course we’re on. We made sure not to feel sorry for ourselves and back to the team we want to be.”

However, in a bid to stay competitive across all three competitions and scoop some long overdue silverware, Tottenham are already looking towards January.

Tottenham identify January priority

That comes according to Football Insider, who report that Spurs have made signing a new midfielder a priority this January as they look to bolster their depth. In fact, the report even claims club chiefs are already “working on a deal”.

Dejan Kulusevski has been used as a central midfielder for much of the season to date, and has been excellent in his new role. However, there are concerns over the form of James Maddison, who was taken off at half-time against West Ham and left on the bench for both of their recent wins over Manchester City and Aston Villa.

On the other hand, all of Pape Sarr, Yves Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur are considered more defensively minded midfielders, while injuries and rotation has seen Postecoglou fail to settle on a preferred midfield trio as he looks to balance attack and defence.

Tottenham’s current midfield options

Player

PL Starts in 2024/25

Dejan Kulusevski

9

James Maddison

9

Rodrigo Bentancur

6

Pape Sarr

3

Yves Bissouma

4

Archie Gray

0

Lucas Bergvall

0

And according to the report, Spurs and Postecoglou are “keen to bolster the position”. It is added that Netherlands star Tijjani Reijnders is among the players that they have considered, but that a January deal for him is “highly unlikely”.

Spurs do have other options in midfield, with young duo Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall having arrived over the summer. However, it is claimed that the pair are “considered too inexperienced to step into the pressure of a starting midfield spot”.

The batting remains questionable and they will be looking for the youngsters to develop

Alex Malcolm06-Dec-2021Captain Nic Maddinson
Coach David SakerSquad
Cameron Boyce, Zak Evans, Aaron Finch, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Sam Harper, Marcus Harris, Mackenzie Harvey, Josh Lalor, Shaun Marsh, Jono Merlo (replacement player), James Pattinson, Mitch Perry, Jack Prestwidge, Kane Richardson, James Seymour (replacement player), Will Sutherland, Nic Maddinson, Reece Topley (Eng), Unmukt Chand (Ind), Mohammad Nabi (Afg), Zahir Khan (Afg)In Nic Maddinson, Jono Merlo, James Seymour, Reece Topley, Unmukt Chand, Zahir Khan
Out Beau Webster, Peter Hazloglou, Jon Holland, Benny, Howell, Noor Ahmed, Imran Tahir, Imad WasimLast season
It was another disastrous season for the Renegades finishing last for the second straight year. They won their first match and then lost seven in a row. Their batting was abysmal, bowled out for less than 90 on three occasions and 111 in another match against Adelaide. The bowling was nowhere near as effective as season’s past and they struggled to find a consistent unit as they mixed and matched their overseas players. There was one bright spot as they produced a brilliant chasing win over Melbourne Stars late in the season. Mackenzie Harvey starred smashing 47 not out from 21 balls to give a glimpse into the future.Related

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International impact
Renegades have been severely impacted by both Australia selection and injury. Nic Maddinson’s selection in the Australia A side to face England Lions means the new Renegades captain won’t get a chance to lead his new club until their fourth game at the earliest. Marcus Harris is set to miss most of the season due to Test duty. Aaron Finch is in doubt for the early games due to his ongoing knee issue while Shaun Marsh is set to miss at least half the tournament due to a calf tear. England does have tour of West Indies in the new year and Afghanistan is scheduled to visit Bangladesh but it is unknown if the likes of Reece Topley, Mohammad Nabi or Zahir Khan will need to leave the BBL early.Player to watch
Reece Topley is an important recruit for Renegades and has a chance to make a serious statement to England selectors ahead of the T20 World Cup in Australia next year. Fellow Englishman Harry Gurney was a key part of Renegades’ run to the title three years ago and Topley has a similar opportunity to cause havoc on the inconsistent home surface of Marvel Stadium.Key stat (Gaurav Sundararaman)
Renegades were the worst bowling unit in the previous BBL edition. Their bowling economy rate of 8.61 was the highest among all teams and their death bowling economy was 11.24. If Renegades want to play finals, this is an area they need to focus on. Their attack certainly looks stronger this season