Says that Pant’s “learning experiences” from the last year and a half will make him a “better leader and person”.

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Mar-20221:05

Ponting discusses Pant’s leadership trajectory

Ricky Ponting had not even realised it. Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant may not have thought of it as well. And it may not have struck people in Indian cricket either. That Ponting, the former Australia captain who had several intense duels with India captains during his playing days, has already groomed two future India captains in the IPL.Well before taking over as the head coach of Delhi Capitals (then Daredevils) in 2018, Ponting had coached Mumbai Indians and had chaperoned Rohit’s captaincy from 2013 to 2016, to help the franchise to two IPL titles, in 2013 and 2015. Rohit has since become one of the top all-format players for India and has taken over the India captaincy in at least two formats.Related

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Pant is now in a very similar situation. A vital all-format player for India, in his early 20s, a new IPL captain, and a possible future India captain, also being groomed by Ponting.”I hadn’t thought about that actually but they are actually quite similar,” Ponting said of the Rohit-Pant comparison a day before the two teams he has coached face each other in IPL 2022. “When Rohit took over at Mumbai, he was quite a young man as well, and had started out in his international cricket. He was probably very similar [in age], I’m not sure how old he was but he would have been 23-24, similar to what Rishabh is here at the Delhi Capitals.”To tell you honestly, they’re quite similar people. I know they are great mates and they talk all the time and they’re probably exchanging things about leadership and captaincy along the way as well. Rohit probably doesn’t want to give too many secrets away because we’re going to play against him in a couple of days’ time (laughs). I think there’s every opportunity for Rishabh’s journey to be similar to Rohit Sharma’s. He’s a young captain of a successful franchise and growing on a daily basis and hopefully Rishabh can have the same sort of success Rohit’s had at the Mumbai Indians. And then with some experience in a role like this in a high-pressure tournament like the IPL, I’ve got no doubt in the years to come there’s every chance that Rishabh could be an international captain. No doubt about it.”The manner in which both Rohit and Pant were handed their IPL captaincies was also similar; Rohit took over from Ponting mid-season in 2013 and Pant was handed over the baton last IPL after Shreyas Iyer picked up a shoulder injury.Ponting is now in his fifth season with Capitals, and he has overseen Pant’s evolution not just as captain but as a player and individual too, after Pant was bought by Daredevils in the 2016 auction. Since then, Pant has played 84 games for them to amass 2498 runs while averaging 35.18 and striking at 147.46, and has quickly gone up the ladder to take over as a long-term captain.Ponting said the “learning experiences” Pant has had in the last 12-18 months with India and in the IPL will make him a “better leader and person”.”His evolution – not just the last one year, this is my fifth season now at the Delhi Capitals – and his evolution as a player and as a person has been quite dramatic,” Ponting said. “Last couple of years with some more responsibility in and around the Indian team, and captaining the Delhi Capitals last season, there’s a lot of learning experiences for him through the last 12-18 months for him which will keep helping him become a better leader and person on a daily basis. I know Rishabh really well, and that’s what he talks about all the time, trying to find ways to improve.”There’s no doubt that his maturity in the last 12-18 months with his play and also with his leadership and captaincy has been outstanding. It’s a big part of my job as well to try and help and guide him and push Rishabh in the right direction where I can. But saying that, he’s got a very good grasp on what leadership is all about because he’s been in successful teams and he’s been under strong leaders in the past. It’s up to me, if there’s anything I can help him with, I’ll do it along the way.”Ponting will now hope he can help Pant lift the IPL trophy two months from now and cheekily ask the BCCI for a ‘captaincy-grooming bonus’ they never knew they owed him.

Crystal Palace are now reportedly keen to throw their hat in the ring to sign a new face who is struggling for game time at his current side, according to a fresh report.

Crystal Palace finding form

It was a tough start to the season for Oliver Glasner’s side, but their form has dramatically picked up in recent weeks. Winless in the Premier League until a win over Tottenham in their ninth game of the season, the Eagles have since lost just one of their last nine games, and thrashed Brighton 3-1 at the AMEX stadium in their latest top flight outing.

Now up to 15th and four points clear of the relegation zone, Glasner’s side are looking to make up for lost time and push into midtable across the remainder of the campaign, and are set to use the January transfer window to give them a boost in that pursuit.

Last month, a report from Football Insider claimed that Palace were “set to be among the busiest clubs in the January transfer window”, while Glasner himself stressed the importance of doing business early, explaining: “The goal of all of us is that if we sign a player, we sign him on January 1 and he starts training with us.”

As a result, they are expected to be busy in the weeks leading up to the January transfer window, with a new attacker and wingbacks likely to feature highly on their wishlist. Now though, they are reportedly eyeing a move to bolster their backline.

Crystal Palace monitoring Atalanta man

That comes as The Boot Room report that Crystal Palace are among the sides interested in signing Atalanta defender Ben Godfrey in the January transfer window.

The defender only joined the Bergamo side over the summer, but has seen his game time limited for the Serie A leaders, making just a single substitute appearance in the top flight so far.

Though he still has nearly five years left to run on his £73k a week deal with La Dea, it has been reported that the club are already open to his departure in the January window, with a loan move being the most likely solution.

Crystal Palace want to sell £14m man to fund January signings, says insider

It’s safe to say the player is having a season to forget…

ByBarney Lane Dec 14, 2024

That has caught the eye of several Premier League sides, and the report claims that the Eagles are “fans” of the 26-year-old and “would be interested in pursuing a January deal” should he become available.

Though Godfrey has struggled in recent seasons, he was praised by Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti when the pair worked together at Everton, with Ancelotti singling him out for praise.

Season

Starts in Domestic League

2024-25

0

2023-24

13

2022-23

10

2021-22

23

2020-21

29

“He was a signing from the club, from our scouts, and he has been really good. He has been able to adapt very quickly to different positions,” Ancelotti explained. “I think the best quality that Ben Godfrey has is the speed, he’s really fast and really aggressive with or without the ball.

“He’s tactically good, he can play in all of the positions without any problems, he’s played two months at left back. He’s always good.”

Were Godfrey to arrive, he would likely be viewed as an option in the heart of Glasner’s three-man defence, which has been beset by injuries to summer signing Chadi Riad and Chris Richards so far this season.

MatériaMais Notícias

O São Paulo realizou o último treinamento antes de encarar o Corinthians, neste domingo (27), às 16h, no Morumbi, pela semifinal do Campeonato Paulista.

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Rogério Ceni comandou os jogadores em trabalhostáticos, ensaio de finalizações e pênaltis.O trabalho tático de 11 contra 11 ocupou de área a área do gramado. Na sequência, a maior parte dos atletas fez um exercício de chutes a gol em que eram simuladas diferentes jogadas, enquanto um grupo menor trabalhou cabeceios.

A atividade também contou com trabalho de pênaltis para todo o grupo. Vale ressaltar que, se a partida terminar empatada, ela será decidida nas penalidades.

As únicas ausências no gramado foram Walce e Gabriel Sara, atletas que estão sob cuidados da fisioterapia, se recuperando de lesões. Todos os demais estão aptos para a partida caso sejam relacionados por Rogério Ceni. Uma provável escalação para este domingo tem:Jandrei; Rafinha, Diego, Léo e Reinaldo; Pablo Maia, Nestor e Igor Gomes; Alisson, Eder e Calleri.

Manchester City star Omar Marmoush has slammed his team-mates for 'lacking confidence' as they saw their European hopes dented by Brighton.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Man City draw 2-2 with Brighton
• City took the lead twice in the clash
• Marmoush urges team-mates to 'show quality'

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Manchester City are set to lose the Premier League title for the first time since the 2019-20 season. Additionally, their struggles this season have lowered the possibility of qualifying for the Champions League next season, and a 2-2 draw against Brighton at Etihad Stadium has not helped Pep Guardiola's side.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Manchester City made a number of signings in January to ensure an improvement in performance, and the Cityzens' best signing was arguably Marmoush from Eintracht Frankfurt. The Egyptian forward scored City's second goal against Brighton and has now urged his team-mates to show their 'quality more'.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT MARMOUSH SAID

  Speaking to the media, Marmoush said: “Of course it is a challenge but we will do everything.

  “We will put our heads down, try to work as hard as we can and, always when we are on the pitch, give 100 per cent. Hopefully, in the end, we will secure that place.

  “We just have to try to show our quality more, have more confidence on the ball, keep the ball more and just do what Man City always did, and I think we will be good.”

• WHAT NEXT FOR MARMOUSH?

  City still have the FA Cup to fight for this season, alongside their battle to get the top four spot in the Premier League. Guardiola's side will return to action when they take on Bournemouth in the FA Cup quarter-finals on March 30.

كشف الإعلامي إبراهيم عبد الجواد عن تطورات جديدة في ملف الجهاز الفني للنادي الأهلي، في ظل تصاعد الحديث داخل القلعة الحمراء عن احتمالية رحيل السويسري مارسيل كولر عن تدريب الفريق الأول.

وأثار التعادل الأخير أمام بيراميدز بهدف لمثله، ضمن منافسات الجولة الثانية من المرحلة النهائية للدوري الممتاز، حالة من الغضب بين جماهير الأهلي، التي عبّرت عن استيائها من أداء الفريق والأخطاء الفنية المتكررة.

وبحسب ما توصل إليه بطولات في وقت سابق، فإن رئيس النادي محمود الخطيب كلّف محمد رمضان، المدير الرياضي، بإعداد ملف شامل يتضمن أبرز الأسماء التدريبية المتاحة حاليًا، تحسبًا لأي قرار محتمل يخص الجهاز الفني.

طالع أيضًا | مصطفى عبده يحذر الأهلي: الكونفدرالية لمراكز الشباب والدورات الرمضانية.. ويعلن موعد رحيل كولر

ووفقًا لما نشره عبد الجواد عبر حسابه على “فيس بوك”، فإن المدرب البرتغالي جوزيه جوميز، مدرب الزمالك السابق، والفتح السعودي الحالي، بات قريبًا من التوقيع للأهلي، حيث بدأت المفاوضات بين الطرفين منذ منتصف يناير الماضي، في إطار تحركات إدارة النادي لتأمين بديل مناسب في حالة الاستقرار على إنهاء التعاقد مع كولر.

في الوقت نفسه، أكدت مصادر أن أي قرار بخصوص مستقبل كولر لن يُتخذ قبل مواجهتي الأهلي أمام صن داونز الجنوب إفريقي في نصف نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا، حيث تُقام مباراة الذهاب يوم الجمعة 18 أبريل، والإياب يوم 25 من الشهر ذاته.

Arne Slot’s Liverpool had to sit out this set of Premier League fixtures, as Storm Darragh called off what could have been a tempestuous Merseyside Derby in itself if it wasn’t for a late postponement.

Everton would have been up for the contest, with it being the last league fixture between the fierce rivals at Goodison Park, whilst the Reds would have equally been raring to go in the tasty affair after a disappointing 3-3 draw away at Newcastle United.

But, the ultimately got in the way, which will now have given Slot time to ponder on how the season is currently unfolding, with his side sitting pretty at the top of the standings with a sublime 35 points.

Still, league titles aren’t wrapped up in December, with the Dutchman wanting to guard against complacency creeping in, which did stunt his high-flying side at St James’ Park.

Main Liverpool underperformers vs Newcastle

Fresh off the back of convincingly beating Manchester City 2-0, Liverpool would have made the trip up the Toon brimming with confidence, only to be rudely met by an inspired Newcastle home display.

The likes of Darwin Nunez and Caoimhin Kelleher stood out in particular as poor performers in the back-and-forth 3-3 draw, with the Uruguayan managing just 25 touches of the ball alongside missing two big chances, whilst the Reds number 62 had to fish the ball out of his goal a depressing three times.

Thankfully for Slot’s men, Mohamed Salah continues to come up trumps like a man possessed for the Merseyside giants, with his two strikes in the barnstorming affair undoubtedly helping the away side salvage something from the game.

That said, he didn’t get too much help from his attacking colleagues; notably Cody Gakpo and Luis Diaz.

Indeed, the ex-Feyenoord boss would have been let down somewhat by the opposing flank, as Gakpo had a quiet night on Tyneside, alongside Luis Diaz registering zero shots on target during his short cameo in for the 25-year-old.

Whilst the game at Everton was called off, a promising Liverpool youngster starred out on loan once more down the wings, with the tricky and quick attacker possessing the potential to be the club’s next Sadio Mane when he returns away from the options currently available.

Liverpool have found their next Sadio Mane

The starlet in question here is Ben Doak, who is lighting up the Championship this season for his loan employers in Middlesbrough.

Whilst he only has one goal next to his name so far, the Scotsman has still been operating as a creative menace down the right channel, with a stunning five assists picked up when slaloming forward with venom for Michael Carrick’s outfit.

He did nearly score a sumptuous solo strike last time out versus Burnley, as one of his three successful dribbles nearly resulted in James Trafford picking the ball out of his own net, but Carrick will just be overjoyed he has the 19-year-old as his temporary disposal before he potentially explodes into life back at Anfield.

His blistering runs forward donning a Liverpool shirt could see him become the club’s next Mane if everything slots into place nicely, with the Senegalese attacker going on to become a modern-day great having chipped in with goals and assists aplenty.

Mane notched up a ridiculous 120 goals in total for Liverpool across 269 games, with Doak aiming to replicate Mane’s highs when given a chance back at Slot’s men when this formative loan stint is up.

Of course, it’s unrealistic to expect the 19-year-old to be instantly amazing for a team routinely near the top of the Premier League pile, but he has already been branded as potential “world-class” talent by ex-Scotland manager Craig Levein.

Doak’s numbers vs Hull City

Stat

Doak

Minutes played

90

Goals scored

0

Assists

2

Shots

3

Key passes

7

Big chances created

2

Successful dribbles

3

Stats by Sofascore

This was off the back of his heroics with Scotland, who he has one assist for in Nations League action, but he has also proven himself to be a captivating watch in the Championship too, with his electric showing for Boro at the end of November versus Hull City gaining him various plaudits at the Riverside Stadium.

Whilst Gakpo and Diaz are already at the calibre of the Premier League, Doak does feel like the next big thing to come out of Anfield who might well become a star on the same level as Mane over time.

He’s tricky, diminutive, exciting and capable of finding the net; it certainly sounds a lot like the Senegalese, doesn’t it?

Related Liverpool keeping tabs on "exciting" gem who may replace Alexander-Arnold

Alexander-Arnold is yet to sign a new deal…

Posts 1 ByTom Cunningham Dec 7, 2024

The tears said it all. Shaun Marsh has had countless triumphs over a 21-year professional career. He’s made 13 international centuries for Australia, won Ashes series, Border-Gavaskar trophies, been the leading runscorer in an IPL, won multiple BBL and Australia domestic 50-over titles.But raising the Sheffield Shield aloft as Western Australia captain, something his father Geoff Marsh had done, something no WA captain had done in 23 years, could be his greatest achievement as a cricketer.”It’s pretty emotional to be honest,” Marsh said. “I’ve shed a few tears.”It’s definitely up there. Dad always spoke about his Shield wins as being the highlight of his career and this feeling that I’ve got inside my body now it’s definitely up there and I’m just so happy for the playing group.”Related

• Paris and Hardie trigger Victoria collapse to put WA on top

• Twin centuries from Whiteman and Hardie edge WA closer to glory

• Western Australia break 23-year Sheffield Shield drought as final ends in a draw

It might be the perfect way to finish for Marsh. He began his Shield career as a 17-year-old with Western Australia in 2001, three years before his current team-mate Teague Wyllie was even born. But the 38-year-old, who has a year to run on his state contract with WA and has signed a two-year contract extension with Melbourne Renegades in the BBL, has not decided on his future just yet.”I’m not too sure,” Marsh said. “I’m not going to worry about it for a few days. I’m really going to enjoy this moment and enjoy it with the boys. We’ve really earned this moment. It’s been a few years in the making this and I’ll sit down with [coach Adam Voges] at some stage and we’ll see what next year looks like but at the moment I’m not even going to think about it. I’m going to celebrate with the boys and really cherish this moment.”WA were made to earn the title by an unrelenting Victoria outfit. They narrowly claimed the bonus point lead in the first innings thanks a superb 141 from Cameron Bancroft. Victoria coach Chris Rogers said it was the best he had ever seen Bancroft bat.Shaun Marsh lifts the Sheffield Shield•Getty Images

Then Aaron Hardie and Joel Paris orchestrated a Victoria collapse taking three wickets each after the visitors looked poised to snatch the bonus point lead and give themselves the opportunity to take the title with a drawn game. It gave WA a first-innings lead of 80.But there was one more twist in the tail on day four. Two quick wickets saw WA slump to 5 for 110, with a lead of just 190, and over five sessions left in the match. However, Sam Whiteman and Hardie both made centuries to put the game to bed and ease Marsh’s nerves.”I battled through day four,” Marsh said. “It was probably the best and worst day of my life to be honest. The emotions were going through my body and I couldn’t be more proud of Sammy and Hards in that partnership.”The game was in the balance and the way those two came out and batted it was just incredible and really put us into a commanding position. That partnership [is] up there with the best I’ve seen in 21 years.”Hardie finished with 174 not out, his highest first-class score, while Whiteman made 123 to go with his 85 in the first innings and faced over 500 balls in the match to be named player of the final.It was a special result for Whiteman, who played alongside Marsh, Bancroft and Voges in WA’s only other Shield finals during their 23-year title drought. Both were losing draws against New South Wales in 2013-14 and Victoria in 2014-15.Sam Whiteman and Aaron Hardie both made centuries•Getty Images

“It’s very special,” Whiteman said. “It means a lot to everyone in the group, and it varies from person to person. But you think of Shaun who’s played for 20-odd years. A lot of the group has played for 10 years now and we probably messed up a few chances along the way. You start doubting whether it’s going to come but it feels amazing.”Whiteman’s performance is made all the more extraordinary given he has reinvented himself as an opening batter, after playing as a specialist wicketkeeper in WA’s previous two finals before a finger injury forced him to give away the gloves.”Before the game my wife said to me, who would have thought you know, seven or eight years after your last Shield final that you’d be playing as an opening batter,” Whiteman said. “And yeah, I wouldn’t have guessed it, going from the keeper to opening. It’s special to be part of the team, play my small role, and, yeah, just pumped for WA cricket.”Victoria captain Peter Handscomb was left to ponder several decisions he and his side made throughout the five days including sending WA in after winning the toss and failing to chase the bonus point lead harder in the first innings.”I’m still okay with the toss,” Handscomb said. “I think hindsight is an interesting one. Looking back, we probably could have gone harder at the bonus point and then we get to try and control the game and try and get the draw that way. But at the time, we thought the wicket would deteriorate a little bit more than it did. We thought we’d be able to force a result somehow whether it be a win or a loss.”We didn’t really expect the pitch to kind of play like that. To see no cracks on a WACA wicket day four or five is a little bit interesting.”Handscomb had no qualms with WA batting Victoria out of the game noting his side would have done the same had they been in the same position. As disappointed as he was with the result, he was delighted for Marsh, who he played alongside for several years with Australia.”Bloody happy for Sos,” Handscomb said. “He’s a good mate of mine. It’s good that he’s been able to do that.”

Kemar Roach flies home to West Indies after Surrey stint cut short by injury

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Apr-2022James Anderson and Saqib Mahmood are available for Lancashire’s home County Championship match against Gloucestershire this week.The pair bowled at Lancashire training this morning and, as centrally contracted players, were cleared by the ECB to play in the Division One fixture starting at Emirates Old Trafford on Thursday.The ECB also made Stuart Broad available for selection by Nottinghamshire, with the club due to announce their squad tomorrow to travel to Durham, although the , for whom Broad is a columnist, reported that he would delay his first outing of the domestic season for another week, targeting Notts’ subsequent three fixtures at Trent Bridge and Lord’s. Both grounds are venues for the opening Test series of the English summer, against New Zealand, with Broad hoping to make his return to the England side then.Broad and Anderson were high-profile omissions from England’s ill-fated Test tour of the Caribbean last month, with the visitors losing 1-0 to compound the fallout from their 4-0 Ashes defeat in Australia.England’s interim managing director of men’s cricket, Andrew Strauss, had said the West Indies trip represented an opportunity for other seamers to take on leadership roles in the absence of the vastly experienced duo, but two of those players – Mark Wood and Chris Woakes – have been sidelined by injury. Wood underwent elbow surgery after breaking down during the first Test and is out of action until at least May, while, according to the , Woakes is expected to return for Warwickshire next month amid a setback after returning from the Caribbean with knee and shoulder complaints.Related

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James Anderson on England dropping: 'I've stopped trying to make sense of it'

Where next for England now that Joe Root has resigned the Test captaincy?

Saqib Mahmood turned down IPL offer to 'push red-ball credentials' with England

Following England’s performance against West Indies, Joe Root resigned as Test captain last week, and Rob Key was appointed to take over permanently from Strauss, who only intended to fill the role short-term. England are yet to name Root’s replacement, and employ a head coach to replace the sacked Chris Silverwood but, before his resignation, Root stated publicly that Anderson and Broad had a route back into the England team, starting with early-season wickets in the County Championship.Anderson said a week ago that he had had no contact with anyone in the England set-up since his omission, other than the physiotherapist, and Broad wrote in his weekend newspaper column that he had given no thought to suggestions he could take over as Test captain “because firstly I am not currently in possession of a shirt within the England Test team and my focus is very much on changing that by taking wickets for Nottinghamshire over the next few weeks”.”In fact, I would argue we are in a fairly unique position as far as selection for the Test team goes right now in that there are only two players whose names you could write in pen on the scorecard,” Broad added. “One of them is Joe Root, the other is Ben Stokes – and one of them isn’t going to be captain for the first Test of the summer against New Zealand at Lord’s on June 2 because he has just given the job away.”Mahmood recently revealed he had turned down an offer to become a replacement overseas player in the IPL to push his Test credentials by playing in the Championship, having made his debut on the Caribbean tour. He was rested for Lancashire’s 10-wicket win at Kent last week.Ollie Robinson, who was part of England’s West Indies touring party but didn’t play because of a back problem, is not available for Sussex in this week’s Division Two game at Worcestershire due to illness, which is not Covid-related.Meanwhile, West Indies fast bowler Kemar Roach has flown home after scans confirmed he had suffered a hamstring injury during the second day of Surrey’s innings win over Hampshire on Friday. Roach had been due to play in Surrey’s first five red-ball matches.”I’m gutted that my time at Surrey has come to an end due to a slight injury but I want to thank the whole Surrey family for the love and care they have shown,” Roach said on Twitter.

Unai Emery has built a fantastic squad since he took over as Aston Villa manager in October 2022. The Villans have invested wisely under the Spaniard, and as a result, he has led them back to the Champions League after several decades away from the competition.

One thing that the former Arsenal boss has done well at Villa Park is put his trust in academy products. Villa’s academy has procured some fantastic players over the past few years, and the likes of Jacob Ramsey and Jaden Philogene have played a big part this season.

However, there is another academy graduate, no longer at the club, who the Villans may wish had a chance to play Champions League football for the club. That man is their record sale, Jack Grealish.

Grealish’s Villa career

For eight seasons of his career, boyhood Villans supporter Grealish got to live his childhood dream of playing for the club he was a fan of his entire life. There were highs and lows for the enterprising attacker during his time at Villa Park, but he certainly made a mark at the club.

The Birmingham-born attacker played 213 times for the club, scoring 32 goals and grabbing 41 assists. He had some standout seasons, with his final three campaigns in Claret and Blue the best of the bunch.

Grealish registered 12 goal involvements in 2018/19 to help Villa get promoted back to the Premier League after a three-year absence. In the following two campaigns, he registered 14 and 16 goals and assists, respectively, to ensure they kept their top-flight status.

His sparkling form ensured the England international got a major move in 2021 for £100m, a then-British record. He left his boyhood club for pastures new, moving to Manchester City.

He has now played 135 times under Pep Guardiola and helped them to win the treble in the 2022/23 campaign.

Losing Grealish was no doubt painful for the Villans, and the fans would surely have loved to see him play for the club in Europe. Given the success of the side, there are now several players in the squad who could fetch large sums like their academy graduate.

Villa’s next big sale

One of the men who could become Villa’s next Grealish-like sale is Ollie Watkins. The England international has a fantastic record for the club and has particularly excelled over the past few seasons under Emery.

In 184 appearances in Claret and Blue, the centre-forward has scored 75 goals and has 29 assists to his name. That works out at an impressive 0.56 goals and assists per game, a superb and consistent ratio.

Last term was comfortably Watkins’ best in a Villa shirt. The former Brentford striker scored 19 goals and grabbed 13 assists in 37 Premier League games, as well as scoring five times in the Europa Conference League. According to Statmuse, his 32 goals and assists in the top flight were only bettered by Chelsea’s Cole Palmer, with 33.

Statistical comparisons can be drawn between Watkins and Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen – as has been noted by FBref in their similar players model.

The 25-year-old Nigerian is on loan in Turkey from Napoli and already has eight goals and four assists in nine games across all competitions. That is slightly more than Watkins’ five goals and two assists in 11 Premier League games this term.

Indeed, their shooting stats on FBref are certainly similar after a successful season so far for both players. Although the Nigeria international averages far more shots per game, with 7.2 compared to 2.79 for Villa’s number 11, they both average 0.19 goals per shot and almost the same number of goals per shot on target each game; 0.45 for Watkins and 0.46 for Osimhen.

Stat (per 90)

Watkins

Osimhen

Goals

0.54

1.36

Shots

2.79

7.2

Goals per shot

0.19

0.19

Goals per shot on target

0.45

0.46

Shots on target %

42.3%

40.6%

Watkins, described as “elite” by football statistician Statman Dave, could become the Villans’ next big sale.

Given their similarities, it is not too far-fetched to think he could sell for a similar value as Osimhen’s release clause at Napoli, which is £113m. At the very least, the Midlands club could be looking at another £100m sale.

It does not seem likely that Emery will allow Watkins to leave Villa Park, given his importance. However, should a sizeable bid be placed on their star centre-forward, it might be hard to turn it down if it is a big enough offer.

Aston Villa leading race to sign "magnificent" gem who plays like Grealish

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ByBrett Worthington Nov 7, 2024

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers was backed by the board in the summer transfer window after key player Matt O’Riley was sold to Brighton.

The attacking midfielder left the Scottish giants to sign for the Premier League side in a deal that was reported to be a fee of more than £25m, breaking the domestic transfer record for the Hoops.

His departure from Parkhead was a big blow for the Northern Irish head coach and the team, as he had been a big player for the club last season.

As you can see in the table above, O’Riley made a huge impact at the top end of the pitch with his ability to score and assist goals from a central midfield position.

However, Celtic did swoop to sign the likes of Arne Engels, Paulo Bernardo, Kasper Schmeichel, Auston Trusty, and Adam Idah, among others, to bolster the squad.

With the January transfer window on the horizon, the club could dip into the market again, and here is how the dream Celtic XI could look in February if everything falls into place.

1

Kasper Schmeichel

Firstly, there is no need to upgrade on Kasper Schmeichel, who arrived on a free transfer from Anderlecht in the summer, between the sticks.

The 38-year-old colossus has kept nine clean sheets in 12 appearances in the Premiership, saving 87% of the efforts on his goal, so far, and has Viljami Sinisalo as his back-up.

2

Alistair Johnston

Another player whose position in the team should be secured is right-back Alistair Johnston, who has been a terrific performer since his move to Glasgow.

The Canada international has scored four goals and created eight ‘big chances’ in 12 appearances in the Premiership so far this season for the Hoops, which illustrates the attacking impact he can have from a full-back position.

3

Cameron Carter-Vickers

At the heart of the defence, Rodgers will be hoping that Cameron Carter-Vickers can return to fitness and avoid any further injury issues, having already missed seven matches this season.

The 26-year-old star has been a dominant presence, winning 73% of his duels across eight league games, when he has been available to play.

4

Auston Trusty

This is a position that is still up for grabs, as Liam Scales and Auston Trusty are fighting it out to be the first-choice option in the left-sided centre-back role.

In the Premiership this season, the American summer signing has completed 95% of his attempted passes, made 3.1 tackles and interceptions per game, and is yet to make a single error that has led to a penalty or goal in the Premiership.

Whereas, Scales has completed 92% of his attempted passes, made 2.3 tackles and interceptions per game, and has made an error that led to a shot and given away a penalty, which suggests that Trusty has the edge over him at the moment.

5

Greg Taylor

At left-back, Greg Taylor could remain the first-choice option for Rodgers, having started nine of the club’s 12 matches in the Premiership so far this season.

6

Callum McGregor

At the base of the midfield, there is little doubt that the captain, the leader of the team, Callum McGregor will remain a regular ahead of the second half of the season.

The former Scotland international has scored an eye-catching five goals in ten league games so far this season, to go along with a pass completion rate of 93%.

7

Arne Engels

Another summer signing who could continue to shine is Arne Engels, who has scored two goals and created three ‘big chances’ in seven league starts since his move from Augsburg.

8

Lennon Miller

The first potential new signing in this starting XI comes in the third and final midfield position, as Lennon Miller could be brought in to bolster the middle of the park.

It was recently reported that the Hoops are preparing a swoop to sign the Motherwell star, who is valued at £4m, alongside Rangers and Liverpool ahead of the January window.

As you can see in the table above, the 18-year-old star has outperformed Reo Hatate and Paulo Bernardo in a host of key statistics in the league this season, which suggests that he could offer more as an all-round midfielder if he signs in January.

Therefore, the Scottish star, who has been hailed as “ridiculous” by James McFadden, could be a fantastic addition to the squad for the second half of the season.

9

Nicolas Kuhn

In a dream world, Celtic will be able to keep hold of Nicolas Kuhn, who has scored 11 goals and provided 11 assists in 18 appearances for the club this season.

10

Kyogo Furuhashi

In the centre-forward position, Kyogo Furuhashi and Adam Idah will still be fighting it out to start. Rodgers has preferred the former so far, starting him in nine of the 12 league games, and that could stay the same.