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Chelsea finish for the international break with plenty to build on under Enzo Maresca, and they could now go big for a forward in January to bolster their striking ranks.

Chelsea rejoice after last-gasp winner vs Liverpool

Last week proved to be a significant one in West London, and plenty of pressure was on the shoulders of Maresca after winning once in five matches leading into the Blues’ double-header against Benfica and Liverpool.

On the face of it, the Italian can count himself slightly unfortunate to be under the spotlight after bringing two trophies to the club during his tenure so far. Nevertheless, the high demands at Stamford Bridge rest for nobody as Chelsea look to place themselves among the Premier League elite.

A tetchy 1-0 victory over Benfica came at the right time for Maresca, and he followed that up with an excellent 2-1 triumph over Liverpool to move his side into seventh, leading the former Manchester City assistant to a dismissal after enjoying wild celebrations with their support.

Stepping in after the match, his assistant Willy Caballero urged the Blues to take advantage of the international break to come back stronger once they are back in the capital.

He stated: “He’s OK (Maresca after red card). He’s so happy now. Of course, he cannot be here now but we are so happy that we achieved the three points in the last seconds. We are so happy and so proud. The players did a fantastic job. Now is a good break for many of them, and hopefully we can recover a few more players and start the new cycle of games with energy.”

After a brief wobble, things are looking up for Chelsea, and they could now be set to target a January move for one of the most prolific forwards in the top-flight.

Chelsea preparing bid for Antoine Semenyo

According to reports in Spain, Chelsea are preparing a bid worth around £78 million for Antoine Semenyo after his blistering start to the Premier League campaign at Bournemouth.

Moving to Stamford Bridge appeals to the Ghana international after publicly admitting he separates his Arsenal fandom from his job, and the Cherries may find it tough to resist the financial capital on offer despite his return of six goals and three assists in his opening seven top-flight appearances.

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Labelled a “special player” by Owen Hargreaves, Semenyo has created an impressive ten chances in the Premier League, per Fotmob, thriving on either flank or whether coming inside to provide a focal point for his teammates.

October 2022

€3m

October 2023

€9m

October 2024

€20m

October 2025

€40m

Chelsea are in the market for another attacker to mix experience with their youtful frontline. However, they are unlikely to be the only club interested in offering the 25-year-old a new challenge.

With the Blues pushing for the Champions League slots, Semenyo could well be the difference if he were to pitch up in West London.

Dermot Gallagher has now revealed why one Arsenal star wasn’t sent off in a controversial moment during the 2-1 victory against Newcastle United on Sunday.

Gunners come from behind to win at St. James' Park

Prior to Sunday’s encounter, Newcastle had won four of their previous five matches against the Gunners at St. James’ Park, but Mikel Arteta’s side sent out a statement by ending their hoodoo, picking up all three points in dramatic fashion.

Arteta has received widespread criticism for his decision to persist with Mikel Merino in recent weeks, but the Spaniard rewarded his manager for his faith by bagging a late equaliser, before Gabriel headed home in stoppage time to secure an important victory on the road.

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Speaking after the match, Arteta insisted his side thoroughly deserved the victory, saying: “When you get what you deserve at the end there’s no better feeling. I’m so proud of the team and the way we controlled our emotions and navigated through the different stages of the game. We showed the conviction, the courage the desire and the quality we need to get where we want to be.”

However, things could’ve been very different. Gabriel may not have even been on the pitch to bag the late winner if Nick Woltemade had made more of a bust-up with the Brazilian earlier in the match, where the defender appeared to punch the Newcastle striker away from the ball.

Speaking Sky Sports’ Ref Watch, Gallagher said: “I think he’s lucky he didn’t actually strike him properly, because where he’s got lucky is is the referee hasn’t seen it, it’s gone to VAR and the VAR say red card or nothing, and it’s decided it’s not a red card. I don’t think it’s a red card, but I think if the referee sees it he’s certainly going to get a yellow card.”

Gabriel fortunate Woltemade didn't go down

Had the Newcastle striker made more of the incident and gone to ground, the Arsenal centre-back could have been in trouble, given that he clearly makes contact with the German’s face, albeit without a great deal of strength.

That said, the Magpies can also consider themselves fortunate that the decision to award Arsenal a penalty in the first half was overturned, with VAR getting involved after Jarred Gillett pointed to the spot for what he perceived to be a foul on Viktor Gyokeres.

Decisions went against both teams during the match, but Arteta’s side ultimately showed great character to come out on top, moving just two points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool in the process.

Celtic are back from the international break and find themselves preparing for a tough run of fixtures, including the start of their Europa League campaign under Brendan Rodgers.

The Irishman has spoken in frank fashion about the frustration he faced during the summer transfer window, claiming his side ‘weren’t ready’ for their Champions League playoff match against Kairat Almaty after the Parkhead hierarchy failed to push critical deals over the line.

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Nevertheless, the Bhoys brought in ten new players by the end of the market period before Kelechi Iheanacho was released from his Sevilla contract to sign as a free agent.

However, the lack of synergy between the Celtic board and Rodgers has been on show for all to see, and one of his lesser-spotted summer signings has now sent an intriguing social media message that may explain his own situation in a little more detail.

Celtic loanee Jahmai Simpson-Pusey sends cryptic Instagram message

Taking to Instagram, Celtic summer signing Jahmai Simpson-Pusey changed his profile picture on the platform to reflect a message that said ‘Delays teach patience, which prepares you for blessings’ after failing to make a first-team appearance since arriving on loan from Manchester City.

Becoming the Hoops’ eighth addition of the window, the 19-year-old has also been left out of the Bhoys’ Europa League squad by Rodgers alongside Callum Osmand, Shin Yamada and Hayato Inamura, causing some to question why he was acquired in the first place.

For now, Lennoxtown product Dane Murray appears to be ahead of Simpson-Pusey in the pecking order and is usually first in line to come off the bench when Rodgers decides to shuffle his backline around.

Regardless, there is a long season ahead for the reigning Scottish Premiership champions, and there is every chance that the England youth international could have a part to play as his loan club pursue another domestic treble.

What has Brendan Rodgers said about Jahmai Simpson-Pusey?

Shortly after his arrival in Glasgow was confirmed, Rodgers admitted to the press before his side defeated Aberdeen in August that Simpson-Pusey may be some way off featuring regularly due to his lack of a full-intensity pre-season.

He stated via Sky Sports: “He’s a little bit away in fairness to Jahmai. He’s been training with the small group at Manchester City and isn’t quite up to speed yet. You can see his quality straightaway and it’s just going to take a bit of time in terms of his fitness and the intensity.”

Clearly, Simpson-Pusey is a man with plenty of talent, given he claimed the Premier League 2 Player of the Season award last term and also made six appearances in the first-team under Pep Guardiola.

Now, he faces the challenge of nailing down a regular slot in Celtic’s backline, which may require persistence as the Manchester-born man looks to unseat the likes of Liam Scales, Cameron Carter-Vickers and Auston Trusty over the coming months.

أعلن لاعب الزمالك السابق، تنازله الكامل عن مستحقاته المالية المتبقية لدى النادي، والتي تُقدّر بـ 2 مليون جنيه، في خطوة اعتبرها دعمًا شخصيًا للنادي وجماهيره في ظل الأزمة المالية التي يمر بها القلعة البيضاء.

وكشف عرفة السيد لاعب الزمالك السابق، والذي انضم إلى صفوف الزمالك في موسم 2023-2024 قادمًا من الجونة، قبل أن ينتقل لاحقًا إلى طلائع الجيش، عن تنازله عن مستحقاته المالية لدى القلعة البيضاء.

وقال عرفة السيد عبر صفحته الرسمية على موقع “فيس بوك”: “أُعلن تنازلي عن كافة مستحقاتي المتبقية لدى نادي الزمالك، والبالغة 2 مليون جنيه، دعمًا للنادي وجماهيره في هذه الفترة الصعبة”.

طالع أيضًا | لا تدركون شيئًا.. يانيك فيريرا يرد على هجوم جماهير الزمالك ضد محمد السيد

وأضاف: “رغم محاولات البعض تحريضي على تقديم شكوى ضد الزمالك للحصول على مستحقاتي، فإنني رفضت ذلك احترامًا للنادي الذي تشرفت بارتداء قميصه يومًا ما”.

واختتم: “سأقدم ورقة رسمية يوم الأحد تفيد بالتنازل عن مستحقاتي بشكل رسمي في نادي الزمالك”.

وكان الزمالك قد تعاقد مع عرفة السيد مقابل 900 ألف جنيه، دفع نصفها فقط، بينما تكفّل اللاعب بدفع 450 ألف جنيه من ماله الخاص لإتمام الصفقة.

وأعلن اللاعب اعتزاله كرة القدم نهائيًا في عام 2022 بعد تجربة مع نادي إيسترن كومباني، بعدما لعب خلال مسيرته لعدد من الأندية أبرزها: تليفونات بني سويف، الجونة، الزمالك، طلائع الجيش، وادي دجلة، إنبي، وإيسترن كومباني.

Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher described one Reds player as “really poor” alongside Milos Kerkez during the 1-0 victory away to Burnley.

Liverpool leave it late to stun Burnley

Yet again, the Reds left it late to win a Premier League game on Sunday, with Mohamed Salah’s last-gasp penalty sealing a priceless win at Turf Moor.

Liverpool are yet to get going this season, in terms of performance level, but their ability to go until the very end of matches is proving to be a priceless asset to have, ensuring they top the table with maximum points.

One player who struggled at Burnley was Kerkez, who was booked for a shocking dive and then substituted in place of Andy Robertson before half-time, with Arne Slot admitting he couldn’t trust the Hungarian to avoid getting a second yellow card.

Speaking on commentary for Sky Sports, Carragher made it clear what he thought of Kerkez’s awful attempts to win a penalty, lambasting the left-back.

“I mean it was a dive, no doubt about that. I don’t think anybody in the stadium thought it wasn’t, it was so theatrical. I mean it was absolutely stupid, that. I don’t think there’s any contact there really, and he’s in a good position! I think he can hook his foot around that and get a cross in. As soon as I seen him make that run I thought he’s gonna be in a really good position on the byline.”

Carragher slams "really poor" Liverpool legend

Kerkez wasn’t the only player who felt the wrath of Carragher in the commentary box, however, with Salah also criticised for his current form, despite his match-winning penalty.

“He’s been really poor again. He just hasn’t really hit those heights of last season so far this season. It was always going to be difficult. But he doesn’t look at the races right now.”

In fairness to Carragher, he does have a valid point with Salah, even though the manner in which he buried the spot-kick was emphatic, outlining the strength of mind he possesses in big moments.

The Liverpool superstar has actually made a very disappointing start to the season, in terms of his all-round involvement in matches, and his general decision-making.

Granted, Salah is adjusting to a new system with Florian Wirtz in it, getting used to new teammates such as the German, Kerkez and Hugo Ekitiké, but the Reds need their iconic attacker to up his level in the coming weeks.

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At 33, it is only natural that some may begin to start writing Salah off, with his pace not what it was, but it is more likely that he is simply out of form. It should also never be forgotten that the passing of Diogo Jota could be affecting him, too, with all of Liverpool’s players still in the grieving process.

Mark Clattenburg has lifted the lid on a spat he had with Jurgen Klopp that led to the former Premier League referee telling the German to 'f*ck off'. Joining Adebayo Akinfenwa for episode seven of the Beast Mode On Podcast, Clattenburg explained how Klopp had sought to blame the match official for a 3-0 defeat to Real Madrid, leading to a fiery response from the referee.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Marcelo wanted a photo, Casemiro offered his shirt

  Looking back at the aftermath of that Champions League quarter-final first leg in 2014, that ended in a heavy defeat for Dortmund, the 50-year-old says: "I remember Marcelo, the full-back from Real Madrid, asked for a picture. I've had players giving me shirts when I didn't even ask, I've had players talking to me after games, but he just wanted a picture. This was a part of me being accepted by them (elite professional footballers). They felt comfortable with me. If they see my name, Mark Clattenburg, refereeing a Champions League game, I would hope the players think: 'Thank God for that, I like that. We know he's not going to cause any problems'. I like that. So players felt comfortable with me." 

  On being gifted Casemiro's shirt, Clattenburg adds: "I remember Casemiro, at Real Madrid, I refereed him in the U-20 World Cup in Colombia playing for Brazil. Didn't speak any English. And he signed for Real Madrid and I remember seeing his name on the team sheet and thinking: 'I know that name'. When I looked at him I said: 'I remember refereeing you in the semi-final in the U-20s'. Didn't speak any English and he just looked at me, came to shake my hand when he came off the bench and I'm thinking: 'This is bizarre'. After the game he's waiting for me outside my door and he's got his shirt and he's saying: 'Thank you, thank you', in broken English, and I'm thinking: 'That was nice, respect'."

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• AFP
  

  Clattenburg tells Klopp to 'f*ck off' as pair clash in 2014

  Clattenburg also discussed a heated row he had with Klopp following that photo exchange with Marcelo, with the ex-Liverpool boss, who was Dortmund manager at the time, blaming the referee for the loss. He says: "It was the wrong time [for Marcelo to ask for a photo after the game]. Klopp's walked past, probably humped that he's got beat 3-0, but he shouldn't have the gripe about me. He should be having the gripe about his team performance, because I wasn't the architect of the defeat. 

  "As he's come past, he's said: 'That's why we got beat 3-0', and I thought: 'F*ck that, he's going to get Geordie banter back'. No, I'm not accepting that. I'm in the Bernabeu, I'm not stupid, I've got the protection of f*cking everybody around and he was on his own. I turned around and I said: 'You should be f*cking thankful you got beat 3-0, so f*ck off'. Everybody laughed. I was p*ssed off, that he had the f*cking… he thought I was the architect of him getting f*cking beat. There's right times and wrong times to speak… why did Klopp think it was f*cking acceptable to f*cking say that."

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Ecstatic Cristiano Ronaldo grabbed Clattenburg's face

  Clattenburg was chosen as the referee for the European Championship final back in 2016, a matter of weeks after he was the man in the middle for Real Madrid's Champions League final meeting with Atletico Madrid. Then-head coach Zinedine Zidane steered Real to a penalty shoot-out win over their city rivals that day, with Ronaldo scoring the winning spot-kick, and the Portuguese was also victorious at EURO 2016 – Eder's goal in extra-time sealing a 1-0 victory over France in the final.

  The former Premier League referee recalls the moment he went up to collect his medal after full-time in the Stade de France, with Clattenburg having to tell Ronaldo to remove his hands from his face as he celebrated Portugal's triumph. He said: "As I was walking through [the tunnel created by Portugal players] Ronaldo grabs my face, and tries to shake it as a way of congratulations. And I'm like: 'Ronaldo, get off my face I'm on live TV', and he just laughed. [In terms of] the respect back, [Lionel] Messi didn't speak much English so it was easier to communicate with Cristiano than it was Messi but I didn't referee Messi in major finals, so it was different. I never refereed Barcelona, for example, [in finals] only in semi-finals in the Champions League, which they were successful in. If they win, the pressure's different."

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Manchester United are now preparing a £130m double swoop for a “world-class” goalkeeper and a “generational” midfielder, according to a report.

Man Utd ramping up pursuit of new goalkeeper and midfielder

Ruben Amorim made it clear he was happy with his side’s performance in their opening Premier League match, despite suffering a 1-0 defeat at home against Arsenal, with the manager saying: “I am proud of the players. I said so many times that the players need to adapt. Intensity, the way they are sprinting. They fought for every duel. They were so brave playing one against one. They were really brave, and I am happy with that.”

However, the difference between the two sides was Riccardo Calafiori’s first-half goal, which came from a Declan Rice corner that Altay Bayindir dealt with poorly, according to both Roy Keane and Micah Richards.

With Andre Onana also suffering widespread criticism since his arrival at Old Trafford, it is little wonder that Amorim is now looking to bring in a new goalkeeper, alongside a midfielder, with Brighton & Hove Albion’s Carlos Baleba known to be well-liked.

However, the Red Devils have halted their pursuit of Baleba, and they have now moved on to an alternative target, according to a report from Spain, which suggests chiefs are prepared to spend big on a midfielder and goalkeeper.

The report states Man United are now willing to shell out a combined €150m (£130m) to get deals for Paris Saint-Germain’s Gianluigi Donnarumma and Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton over the line.

The addition of Wharton would ideally provide Bruno Fernandes with more attacking freedom, while signing a new goalkeeper is deemed a top priority for Amorim, following Bayindir’s costly error against the Gunners on Sunday.

Wharton and Donnarumma could be statement signings for Man Utd

Despite being unable to pick up a positive result in the opener against Arsenal, there were some positive signs for Man United, with new signings Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha looking particularly lively.

However, United’s goalkeeper ultimately cost them once again, underlining how vital it is to bring in a replacement before the deadline, and Donnarumma could be a real upgrade, having been lauded as “world-class” by Carlo Ancelotti in the past.

The 26-year-old is proven at the top level, having featured 15 times for PSG en-route to their Champions League final triumph last season, and he should undoubtedly be United’s priority target.

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While Wharton is yet to play in Europe’s elite competition, the Englishman is Premier League proven, much like previous arrivals Mbeumo and Cunha, and he clearly has a lot of potential, having been lauded as a “generational talent” by members of the media.

Tottenham Hotspur have opened talks to sign Crystal Palace playmaker Eberechi Eze, as widely reported, and Spurs chairman Daniel Levy has a price in mind.

Fabrizio Romano was among the reliable media outlets to confirm Spurs’ negotiations for Eze in a separate deal to their pursuit of Man City winger Savinho, with supporters now poised for a potentially exciting end to the transfer window.

“Understand Tottenham are also back in talks for Eberechi Eze in separate deal from Savinho,” wrote Romano on X.

“Spurs trying again for Eze while they work on Savinho, following Maddison injury and Son exit. Eze keen but deal depends on Palace as release clause expired.”

Interestingly, other reliable media sources differ with Romano about Eze’s £68 million release clause.

According to both talkSPORT and Standard Sport, the buy-out currently remains active and won’t expire until this Friday – potentially giving Levy and co a window of opportunity to trigger it and make Eze a Spurs player.

In a further bit of good news for Thomas Frank, who is in dire need of another creative attacking player after James Maddison’s ACL rupture, Eze is reportedly becoming open to joining Tottenham before the transfer deadline on September 1.

It is important to note that Frank’s side face stiff competition from north London rivals Arsenal, who have been in pursuit of the 27-year-old for well over a month after holding consistent talks with his representatives (Fabrizio Romano).

However, Arsenal currently have to make sales first (The Telegraph), and that may be stopping them from making a formal bid for Eze.

Their hesitancy could hand Spurs an advantage in the race for Eze, especially considering Levy and technical director Johan Lange were ready to splash £60 million on Nottingham Forest’s number 10, Morgan Gibbs-White, over a month ago.

The price Tottenham want to pay for Eberechi Eze

According to reliable journalist Ben Jacobs, Tottenham have a minimum valuation for the England international and an ideal price they’re willing to pay, as Levy looks to strike a deal quickly.

Taking to X, Jacobs reports that Levy wants to pay a similar fee to their deal for winger Mohammed Kudus – around £55 million.

That being said, Palace have been clear in their demands to sell their star attacking asset.

Given Tottenham’s glaring need for another forward option, after losing Son Heung-min to LAFC, Maddison to injury and being forced to deal with Dejan Kulusevski’s continued absence, it is imperative that Levy pulls no punches here.

Eze appears set to cost a similar price to what they were more than prepared to pay for Gibbs-White, so the Lilywhites clearly have the necessary funds to meet Palace’s valuation.

He’d be worth every penny, too, having averaged more shots, key passes and successful take-ons per 90 than any other Palace player in the Premier League last term – all whilst racking up 14 goals and a further 11 assists in all competitions.

Eze can also play on the left-wing when required, and you can make a serious case that he’s exactly who Frank is crying out for.

It would be fair to say that, overall, last season did not go entirely to plan for Arsenal.

Partly due to injuries and partly due to a lack of form, Mikel Arteta’s side failed to secure the Premier League title.

However, there were still some positives to come from the campaign, notably in the shape of Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri.

The two Hale End talents burst onto the scene around the winter period, and while the former ended up with more of a permanent role in the team, both look to be sensational prospects.

For example, Nwaneri was able to rack up 11 goal involvements in just 1,378 minutes, and so fans should be seriously excited about links to someone who could be Arteta’s next version of the 18-year-old.

Appearances

37

Starts

16

Minutes

1378′

Goals

9

Assists

2

Goal Involvements per Match

0.29

Minutes per Goal Involvement

125.27′

Points per Game

1.95

Arsenal close in on the next Nwaneri

While most headlines and fan attention have focused on the new additions Arsenal have made to the team this summer, such as Martin Zubimendi, Noni Madueke, and now Viktor Gyokeres, the contract renewals have arguably been just as important.

Transfer Focus

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

First, it was man-mountain and fan favourite Gabriel Magalhães who put pen to paper on a new four-year deal, then a few weeks later it was Lewis-Skelly’s turn to do the same with a five-year deal, and most recently, it was Nwaneri who committed the next five years of his career to the project.

The contract for the dynamic teenager came as something of a relief for many fans, as just a couple of weeks ago, there were murmurings that talks were not progressing as well as some at the club would have liked, and that game time was supposedly an issue.

Fortunately, none of those rumours appear to have been accurate, and now, in even more good news, the North Londoners look to have secured another highly-rated youngster who could be the next Nwaneri.

At least that’s according to a recent report from The Athletic, which has confirmed Arsenal’s interest in Salford City youngster Will Wright.

In fact, the report goes even further, revealing that the Gunners have already agreed on a fee with the League Two side, although personal terms still need to be finalised.

While the report makes no mention of how much the teenager is going to cost, stories from earlier this month claimed that the fee is around £200k, which is £100k more than Liverpool supposedly offered.

It might sound like a lot of money for a 17-year-old, but given the ability he has already shown and the potential he has, it could prove to be a bargain years from now, especially as he could be the next Nwaneri.

Why Wright could be the next Nwaneri

Now, comparing a youth product from a League Two side to one of the most exciting youngsters in the Premier League last season might sound like a lot, and that’s because it is.

However, with what Wright has already achieved in Salford’s youth sides and the way those in the know have been speaking about him, we see no reason why he too couldn’t develop into one of the most exciting prospects at Arsenal in the coming years.

Let’s take a look at their numbers for their club’s respective youth sides.

For example, in 52 appearances for the Gunners’ junior teams, Nwaneri managed to rack up a massively impressive tally of 27 goals and ten assists.

In contrast, the Salford gem scored over 40 goals in the academy last season, which is undeniably impressive, and strongly suggests he could be something seriously special.

On top of that, those with a good understanding of junior football are very excited about what the “technically gifted” gem, as dubbed by analyst Bence Bocsak, could develop into.

For example, Total Football Analysis, who take a look at some of the best wonderkids in world football every season, claim he has ‘many of the characteristics to be a top-level centre-forward’ and that, on top of being a prolific goalscorer, he’s also someone who ‘has the ability to connect play.’

Finally, despite being just 17 years old, the sought-after gem is already 6 foot 2, which means he can already physically dominate many of his opponents, and may grow to be even more imposing in the coming years.

Ultimately, it’s notoriously difficult to predict the future careers of young players, but as things stand, Wright appears to be on track to become a future star and potentially emulate Nwaneri’s breakthrough in the coming years.

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ByJack Salveson Holmes Jul 22, 2025

Rain meant time had run out to play a longer game but Bangla Tigers were not happy to decide their campaign based on a one-over eliminator, and the game was declared forfeited

Shashank Kishore11-Aug-2024A controversy erupted at the Global T20 Canada on Friday when Bangla Tigers Mississauga were knocked out of the competition after they forfeited their eliminator to Toronto Nationals.It all started when persistent rain in Brampton kept players waiting for the eliminator to start. But with the clock ticking towards the cut-off time, the match officials decided only a Super Over would be possible and communicated the same to both teams, a decision that was in line with the playing regulations.Shakib Al Hasan the Bangla Tigers captain, however, didn’t turn up at the toss for the Super Over in protest. Had the game been completely washed out, Bangla Tigers would have automatically qualified for Qualifier 2 by virtue of finishing higher on the points table in the group stage.Zafir Yasin, the Bangla Tigers owner, argued that they shouldn’t have decided the result via a Super Over. GLT20 CEO Joy Bhattacharjya, however, explained the decision to play wasn’t arbitrary.”We were trying to ensure there was a result either way, however heartbreaking as it may be for the team that loses a one-over shootout,” Bhattacharjya told ESPNcricinfo. “And it was all part of the regulations.”When asked why the regulations were distributed via WhatsApp (by tournament director Ingleton Liburd), Bhattacharjya said, “they were sent to the managers’ group for immediate action, and all tournament-related updates had been provided on the same group until then”.Earlier in the day, efforts to ensure a Super Over for Qualifier 1 between Brampton Wolves and Montreal Tigers at the same venue had been futile because of rain and the ground conditions. Montreal eventually progressed to the final by virtue of topping the group-stage table.Bhattacharjya explained the Super Over wasn’t a sudden addition to the regulations.”It’s not like the Super Over provision was brought in for just the game involving Bangla Tigers,” he said. “It was in place for both games [Qualifier 1 and eliminator]. It’s just that it wasn’t possible for the first game, and because the second game happened much later in the day, there was a little more time for the ground staff to work on the outfield.”In the eliminator, after initial delays, a decision was taken to have a toss at 7.10pm, with the Super Over beginning at 7.30pm. As per regulations sent to both teams, there was a provision to call off the game if the Super Over didn’t begin by 7.50pm.”At the time of the toss, the Toronto Nationals captain was present, but the Bangla Tigers team refused to appear,” GLT20 said in a statement. “The match referee explained the plausible consequences of the said action to the captain [Shakib Al Hasan] and thereafter the umpire subsequently awarded the match to Toronto Nationals.”Yasin insists they had sought to have a minimum of five overs per innings, and not just a Super Over to decide the result. Bhattacharjya said the rules could not be changed just like that.”Where’s the credibility for a league if rules are changed on the fly?” he said. “If we changed rules for one team, Brampton Wolves would’ve had every reason to argue they were robbed of an opportunity to directly qualify for the final instead of now having to play in the eliminator. The credibility was at stake.”Bangla Tigers were also displeased that the boundaries were shortened before the official cut-off time to “remove the dangerous area of play from consideration”. Yasin said the organisers had “compromised the integrity of the competition” by seeking assistance from the Toronto owners to procure additional covers on the day of the playoffs.”If the team owner intended to assist the tournament by purchasing covers, such a contribution should have been made before the tournament began, not before a crucial match,” Yasin said. “This situation raises concerns about the integrity of the league and the possibility that the league’s management decisions were influenced in favour of that team.”Bhattacharjya explained this was done simply to ensure a crucial stage of the competition wouldn’t be decided by the elements and that these calls were made entirely by the match officials, who were the deciding authority.”In a country like Canada, where such infrastructure isn’t always easily available, procuring additional covers was only done to ensure we did everything to have play,” Bhattacharjya said. “We readily accepted any help we could get, so that we didn’t leave anything to chance with the weather around.”Despite the match being awarded to Toronto, Bangla Tigers turned up at the venue on Saturday morning to play Qualifier 2, only to be informed by the officials that no fresh requests would be entertained. Brampton, who lost Qualifier 1 by virtue of finishing lower on the table, eventually lost Qualifier 2 to Toronto, who will play Sunday’s final against Montreal.