All posts by h716a5.icu

An update has emerged on Leicester City and their plans to make further additions to the playing squad before the summer transfer window slams shut today.

What's the latest Leicester transfer news?

Journalist Ben Jacobs has claimed that West Ham United and Wolves are among the teams interested in signing Foxes no.14 Kelechi Iheanacho, who is said to be valued at £20m.

It remains to be seen whether or not any of those three Premier League sides are willing to meet the club's valuation of the Nigeria international but his exit would leave a gap within the group to possibly be filled by a new signing.

According to The72, one striker that is on the club's radar heading into today's race against the clock is Bologna centre-forward Sydney van Hooijdonk.

The report claims that league rivals Southampton and Premier League outfit Crystal Palace are also interested in a deal for the 6 foot 3 talisman, with manager Enzo Maresca seemingly eyeing up a last-gasp swoop for the towering striker.

It's thought the Serie A side are looking for a deal in the region of €10m (£9m), too.

How good is Sydney van Hooijdonk?

Leicester could, therefore, land an instant and dream heir to Iheanacho, should the ex-Manchester City man moves back to the top-flight, by securing a deal for van Hooijdonk as the Dutch ace has the potential to be an upgrade on the 26-year-old forward.

The Bologna gem, who was once lauded as "prolific" by scout Jacek Kulig, spent the 2022/23 campaign on loan with Heerenveen in the Netherlands and caught the eye with his superb Eredivisie performances at the top end of the pitch.

He averaged a superb Sofascore rating of 6.99 across 33 appearances in the Dutch top-flight and racked up an impressive 16 goals and one assist as the talented finisher showcased his ability to find the back of the net on a regular basis.

That form also came after the giant marksman had scored six times in 13 Eredivisie outings during the second half of the 2021/22 season for Heerenveen.

Iheanacho, on the other hand, averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.77 as he produced five goals and five assists in 28 Premier League matches for Leicester last term.

The left-footed whiz has also started the current campaign with zero goals and one assist in four Championship outings for Maresca's team, which shows that he has been in less than prolific form in front of goal over the last 18 months.

Van Hooijdonk, who scored a sensational 35 goals in 41 games for NAC Breda's U19 side earlier in his career, is a player who has the potential to come in as an upgrade on the ex-Cityzens prospect.

His form on loan with Heerenveen over the last couple of seasons suggests that he can be a reliable goalscoring option, which Iheanacho has failed to be for Leicester during the same period.

No current Foxes player managed more than five league goals last term and no one has scored more than twice during the current campaign, which suggests that Maresca does not currently have a consistent scorer in his squad.

Therefore, van Hooijdonk could be a superb and much-needed signing to add some firepower to the team as an heir or replacement for Iheanacho before tonight's deadline.

Heart of Midlothian will be hoping to improve following the resumption of the domestic season this weekend, especially considering the club have lost their previous four matches in all competitions.

Steven Naismith might not be under serious pressure at the minute, yet if another couple of poor results follow after the international break, it could well be a different story.

The Jambos have made seven signings this summer, while undergoing a clear-out, moving on eight players, but the results have yet to be seen on the pitch.

Across their nine matches thus far, the Tynecastle side have scored 11 goals while conceding 11, and it proves that despite the new arrivals, they could do with some added dynamism in attack and another solid centre-back.

The club could certainly be left to rue losing former defender John Souttar for nothing last year, especially as his value has soared since joining Glasgow Rangers.

How much did Hearts sign John Souttar for?

The defender made his debut for Dundee United aged just 16 way back in January 2013 and over the next three years he made 73 appearances for the Arabs, emerging as one of the most exciting prospects in Scotland.

This led Hearts to make their move, and they secured his signature for a fee of around £170k, which represented good business by United considering he was developed in their academy.

He was praised by Robbie Nielson following his arrival, who said: “I’m really happy to get John here to Hearts. We see him as one of the brightest young prospects in Scotland, and one who we can develop further.

“John’s a player who we’ve admired for a long time and I’m delighted to secure him. It shows the intent of Hearts to not only develop young players from our own academy, but recruit them too and continue their development.”

Over the next five and a half years, he would prove to be worth the investment.

What happened to John Souttar?

During his spell in Edinburgh, the Scot ended up making 162 appearances, scoring six goals in the process, and it would have been a lot more had he not missed 117 games due to a variety of injury issues.

These ranged from a ruptured Achilles tendon to surgery on an ankle injury with his lowest points coming during 2019 and 2020 as he missed large chunks of two whole campaigns.

The defender showed his resilience to come back stronger than ever by playing a key role for the club during the 2021/22 season.

It began with Souttar scoring a last-minute winner against Celtic in the first Premiership game of the season, and he would add another three goals during the campaign.

Not only that, the 26-year-old won an impressive 5.7 total duels per game – a success rate of 71% – while helping his side keep eight clean sheets too.

His displays meant he achieved a Sofascore rating of 7.3 across 27 matches and this ranked him first out of the whole squad, while he also ranked second for accurate passes per game (44.7), accurate long balls per game (6.3) and second for clearances per game (3.9), showcasing his abilities over a wide range of metrics.

With his contract expiring at the end of the season, Rangers saw the perfect chance to sign him for nothing and made their move in January 2022, announcing his signing on a pre-contract deal which would see him make the switch to Ibrox that summer.

Where is John Souttar now?

Giovanni van Bronckhorst clearly saw Souttar as an ideal partner for Connor Goldson at the heart of the defence, yet disaster soon struck the player as he had to come off at half-time during the opening match of the season against Livingston due to suffering an ankle injury, and it kept him out for 46 matches.

He made his comeback against Motherwell in March and over the final 11 matches, Souttar won 76% of his total duels, averaged 0.8 tackles per game and was dribbled past on just 0.2 occasions per game, displaying a solid if unspectacular return.

The final game of the campaign against St Mirren proved to be arguably his finest in a Gers shirt, as the defender was successful with 100% of his ball carries, while making 11 clearances and Michael Beale heaped plenty of praise on him following the tie, saying: "He's played three games this week and been outstanding. He is a top footballer…"

It marked a wonderful final few months following his injury recovery, and he has carried that form into the current season, currently ranking first in the Light Blues squad for accurate passes per game (63.8) while also ranking second for interceptions per game (1.8) and it's clear that he is beginning to repay the club having missed almost the whole of last term through injury.

How much is John Souttar worth now?

Following his impressive displays towards the end of 2022/23 and into the current season, Souttar’s value has increased steadily and according to the CIES Football Observatory, his current valuation stands at €5m (£4.2m), indicating that the Gers have hit the jackpot on the defender, while Hearts have clearly suffered a major transfer blunder on the player.

Letting him leave for free has proven to be a mistake, and not only due to his current valuation.

His improved performances have seen the Scot emerge as the perfect partner for Goldson at the heart of the Rangers defence and Hearts would certainly love to have him back starring for them.

Having overcome various injury problems throughout his career, it finally looks as though Souttar has managed to get himself settled down and looks to be injury-free for the first time in years.

The better he plays at Ibrox, the Gorgie outfit will be regretting the fact they couldn't tie him down to a long-term deal before he entered the final year of his contract.

Their loss has been Rangers gain and if he continues to improve over the next 12 months, there is no doubt his value will continue to soar.

The pair added 98 for the second wicket to set up India’s total of 166, which they defended with aplomb courtesy three wickets each from Shikha Pandey, Rumeli Dhar and Rajeshwari Gayakwad

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Feb-2018Jemimah Rodrigues sports a smile after the practice match•ESPNcricinfo/Annesha GhoshA 98-run stand between half-centurion Mithali Raj and Jemimah Rodrigues, followed by an inspired effort by their bowling and fielding units, helped India complete a 54-run win in the fifth T20I and seal a first-ever away-series double. Having won the ODI series 2-1, India clinched the T20I series 3-1, bowling South Africa out for 112 in 18 overs in Cape Town.Having put India in, Marizanne Kapp removed Smriti Mandhana inside the Powerplay. Mandhana’s opening partner Raj, however, pressed on to her third half-century – a 50-ball 62 studded with short-arm pulls, sweeps and cuts that brought her eight fours and three sixes. Keeping her company for 11.3 overs was the 17-year-old Jemimah Rodrigues, whose promotion to No. 3 – which has otherwise been the slot earmarked for captain Harmanpreet Kaur in this series – paid off.Having been reprieved on 15 by wicketkeeper Lizelle Lee, Rodrigues waltzed to a 34-ball 44. Raj and Rodrigues then fell in successive overs, to Shabnim Ismail and Ayabonga Khaka respectively. India were 134 for 4, with 3.1 overs left. Harmanpreet partnered Veda Krishnamurthy in a brisk 32-run stand, reeling off 27 off 17 balls courtesy a four and two massive sixes that sailed into the leg-side stands. Krishnamurthy pinched eight off the six balls she faced, before being run-out off the final ball of the innings as India finished on 166 for 4.India’s momentum, gathered through the closing overs of their innings, was kept going by their quick-bowling troika of Pooja Vastrakar, Shikha Pandey and Rumeli Dhar, who reduced the hosts to 22 for 3 inside six overs. While Vastrakar opened with a maiden over, Dhar accounted for both openers – Dane van Niekerk her first wicket upon returning to international cricket after a six-year hiatus.Pandey subsequently sent back Sune Luus, followed by the wickets of Mignon du Preez and Nadine de Klerk in the space of three balls in the ninth over. Half the South African line-up had been sniped out for 44. Chloe Tryon tried resuscitating the chase, hitting two sixes, but could not go beyond a 17-ball 25 as she holed out off Rajeshwari Gayakwad. Harmanpreet completed a regulation catch at long-off and blew a kiss as a follow-up act.That three of South Africa’s partnerships ended in the twenties, the highest being a seventh-wicket stand of 29 between Shabnim Ismail and Marizanne Kapp, underlined their inability to deal with the lack of pace from the Indian attack, aided by some agile fielding. While Harmanpreet and Mandhana prevented at least three fours by throwing themselves around near the rope, Rodrigues pulled off a stunner at the deep-square leg boundary to send back Kapp for a 21-ball 27. Rodriguez’s two-handed back-arch-and-leap act gave Dhar her third wicket before Gayakwad took out the tail; both finished with identical returns of 3 for 26, though Gayakwad bowled one over less.

The Scotland captain didn’t regret his decision to bowl first; hopes loss serves as a wake-cup call ahead of a must-win game

Liam Brickhill in Harare18-Mar-2018Scotland didn’t feature too highly in many pre-tournament favourites lists, but they were the only unbeaten team alongside hosts Zimbabwe, against whom they tied, until Sunday. Kyle Coetzer, the captain, suggested that their 25-run loss to Ireland had at least simplified the equation for them.”Not the result we were looking for today, but we know what’s ahead of us now,” said Coetzer. “We know what we need to do, and we can get our heads around that and prepare accordingly. It’s a simple equation really, the West Indies game is pretty crucial.”Scotland’s decision to bowl first, albeit under grey skies, may have surprised a few but Coetzer defended the move. “I know it was still the right thing to do,” he said. “It was a great pitch for a majority of the day, and it definitely swung and moved around early. You can always look with hindsight, but we created opportunities to take wickets in that innings.””The wicket got better as the day went along. It was a great batting track and the ball slid on nicely. Spin has been pretty crucial throughout this tournament, but there were no demons in that pitch.”Coetzer’s boundary-laden 61 had put Scotland on top in the early stages of their chase, but they then slipped from 94 for 1 to 132 for 6. “Unfortunately it didn’t all go our way, and that’s the nature of the game. We have to take that on the chin and pick ourselves up quickly,” Coetzer said. “Maybe [we conceded]10 or 15 too many, but our bowlers came and bowled outstandingly at the start, and brilliantly at the end.”O’Brien and Balbirnie played some great cricket; they didn’t give us a sniff, and credit to them for that. But we got ourselves back in the game with some excellent bowling at the death. That was definitely chaseable, on today’s pitch.”We didn’t quite nail it, and there were crucial moments in the game that maybe you could look back and think ‘we should have done that differently’. There was a clear collapse in the middle there that put the pressure on, but you can see how close we did get in the end.”Scotland still sit alongside Zimbabwe at the top of the points table, and a win over West Indies on Wednesday would assure them of a place in Sunday’s final.”The tournament’s been amazing. There’s been some amazing cricket, some exciting cricket, and we’re one of the two Associates here fighting for that place in the World Cup,” he said. We’ve still got some points to prove.”We’re learning a lot, and we’re a very dangerous team. We know we are. This is our first loss of the tournament, and maybe it’s what we needed to get us into gear for the next game.”

TalkSPORT pundit Gabriel Agbonlahor has questioned a "dangerous" team decision from Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta ahead of their clash with Tottenham.

Arsenal vs Tottenham

This Sunday, both Arteta and high-flying new Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou go head-to-head in what will be the most fiercely-contested north London derby for quite some time. Both sides are entering the match on a real hot streak; remaining unbeaten over their opening five Premier League games, though in slightly differing fashion.

Arsenal have had to display the mentality of champions; having clinched narrow wins against the likes of Nottingham Forest, Crystal Palace and Everton despite not being at their best.

Spurs, meanwhile, have showcased their new brand of exciting, attack-minded football under Postecoglou; bagging 13 league goals while standing out as the division's third-most potent scorers overall.

Only in-form Brighton and European champions Man City can boast more goals against than the Lilywhites – a stat Arteta will be very aware of going into the game. Regardless, the feeling around both clubs is one of real positivity, and it will be very, very interesting to see if either side can hand a real blow to the other by dealing an end to their unbeaten streak.

Arsenal team news

In their last two matches, Arteta has made one questionable call in the goalkeeping department. Former number one Aaron Ramsdale had started every single league game for Arsenal since March 2022, but that impressive run ended last weekend against Everton when summer signing David Raya was handed the nod.

Raya retained his place for Arsenal during their 4-0 win over PSG Eindhoven in the Champions League group stages on Wednesday, with the Spaniard saying Ramsdale will have to fight for his place.

"That's his choice, it's not my choice," said Raya on Arteta's decision to drop Ramsdale. "If Aaron comes back in he needs to fight for the team and to win games.

"I think it's the first time that two top goalies are on the same team. That's just part of football now. The gaffer wants two top players for each position and that's what we have to work with."

Given Ramsdale hadn't previously set a foot wrong, Arteta's call has been questioned by sections of the media, with Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard even publicly praising Arsenal's keeper and reminding everyone of his quality.

Former Aston Villa striker Gabriel Agbanlahor, who regularly appears on talkSPORT, has now moved to slam Arteta's goalkeeping decision ahead of the Spurs game this weekend.

“The dangerous thing Arteta is doing by rotating his keepers is risking them not being up to speed," said Agbonlahor to Football Insider. “One of them is going to be out of rhythm. If they were playing in the Europa League, I could see it – but the Champions League is so tough.

“Let’s face it, I think everyone agrees. Raya is going to be the number one, and Ramsdale is going to be the number two. The majority of the games, come the end of the season – I’m sure Raya will have played 75% of the games – no matter what Arteta says.”

With emphasis on the World Cup in May 2019, Australia have revamped their contract list with five new players added to an initial group of 20

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Apr-2018With emphasis on the World Cup in May 2019, Australia have revamped their contract list with five new players added to an initial group of 20. Steven Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft were not part of that number after receiving bans of up to one year in the wake of the ball-tampering scandal from last month. All three men would have served out their suspensions by the time the first match of the global event begins on May 30.Australia’s contract list

Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Aaron Finch, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine, Matthew Renshaw, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, Billy Stanlake, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Andrew Tye.
In: Alex Carey, Shaun Marsh, Tim Paine, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, Marcus Stoinis, Andrew Tye
Out: Cameron Bancroft, Jackson Bird, Hilton Cartwright, James Pattinson, Steven Smith, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa

Tim Paine – who was not among the contracted players in 2017-18 when CA released the list last April – found a place this time, and is likely to be among the highest earners, given he is Australia’s new Test captain. The other first-timers on the list were allrounder Marcus Stoinis, wicketkeeper Alex Carey and the fast-bowling Richardsons – Kane and Jhye. Australia have also placed their trust in fingerspinners at a time when wristspin has taken limited-overs cricket by storm, with Nathan Lyon and Ashton Agar edging out Adam Zampa, the team’s top-seeded slow bowler on the ICC rankings for both ODIs and T20Is.Australia have a system by which players gain points based on appearances at international level: five for a Test, two for an ODI and one for a T20I. Those out of contract can earn one for themselves by collecting at least 12 points – a method that Paine, Stoinis, Shaun Marsh and Andrew Tye used over the course of the 2017-18 season to get retainers for themselves. Adam Zampa, Chris Lynn and D’Arcy Short might be targeting this option as Australia build towards the World Cup with limited-overs tours of England and Zimbabwe in June and July.The other notable absentees were Chadd Sayers, who made his Test debut in Johannesburg recently, and Jackson Bird, often the back-up for Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins. Injury forced Nathan Coulter-Nile and James Pattinson out of reckoning, although the latter hopes to be fit in time for the next Ashes series in 2019.”There has been a bit of a focus in this contracting period on white-ball cricket, as we look ahead to trying to win back-to-back World Cups,” national selector Trevor Hohns said.As such, some of the brightest performers from the Big Bash League were rewarded with Australia contracts: Carey came into the fray after finishing as the second-highest run-scorer in the 2017-18 edition. So did Kane Richardson, who was among the top 10 wicket-takers. Jhye Richardson enjoyed the selectors’ favour again, two months after he was picked in the Test squad to tour South Africa even though, at the time, he had played only five first-class matches.”Alex (Carey) is the second wicket-keeper in this squad, alongside Tim Paine,” Hohns said. “He is a promising young player who has had a strong domestic summer and performed well in his international opportunities to date with bat and gloves.”Jhye (Richardson) is a young fast bowler who has been on the fringes of selection in all three forms of the game. He’s an exciting prospect who has played ODI and T20 cricket for Australia this summer, and was in the Test squad for the recent tour of South Africa.”

Leeds United could now find a cost-effective solution to their left-back issue despite the transfer window being closed at Elland Road, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

What's the latest news involving Leeds United?

News Leeds United signing Ethan Ampadu has made a significant impact at Elland Road since arriving from Chelsea in the summer and has been voted Socios Player of the Month.

Speaking to the Whites' official website, the Wales international expressed his delight at winning the award and how he has started life in Yorkshire, stating: "It was never my aim to come here and win awards, it was more to settle in and see how I could help the team. I really appreciate the fans for all of their support and hopefully by them voting for me, it shows I'm going someway to repaying them for that support and I hope to do even more. Everyone here, the staff, players and all the fans, have made it really easy for me to settle in, so it's been an easy and smooth transition and I've really enjoyed it."

Leeds United have taken just five points from their opening six matches in the Sky Bet Championship so far and face a tough test away to adversaries Millwall on Sunday at The Den.

Former player Paul Robinson has indicated that their encounter against Millwall is a game that Daniel Farke needs to win, stating to MOT Leeds News: “But, it’s always difficult – a game at 12 o’clock on a Sunday after the international break, it’s not an ideal time, but it’s a game that Leeds will need to win. Farke’s job is not in question yet. I mean, yes, they’ve had an indifferent start to the season, but there are reasons as to why: injuries, him coming in late, etcetera, et cetera. If they’re still in 15th in the next international break then there’ll be questions asked. That’s just the nature of the beast, unfortunately.”

As per a recent report from The Athletic, Scottish Premiership outfit Rangers contemplated making a bid for Leeds United ace Jamie Shackleton in the summer; however, no move materialised to try and prize the 23-year-old away from Elland Road in the end.

What has Ben Jacobs said about Leeds United's left-back situation?

Journalist Jacobs has indicated that Farke could be willing to enter the market for a left-back after recent injury problems concerning Junior Firpo.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Jacobs stated: "I don't expect Leeds to panic sign and get cover for cover's sake. But it's obvious to anyone who looks at what Leeds have got on paper that they still need to strengthen in that left-back position. So, if a free agent becomes available, they'll move because it's relatively low-risk and cost-effective. But right now, I just don't think there are that many targets that are right for Leeds. There's no point in just adding an extra body for the sake of it if they're not going to benefit the football team. So, the left-back position is Firpo’s and Leeds will just be praying that he stays fit."

Firpo looks to be closing in on a return to first-team action in the near future; however, it is unclear if he will be available for selection against Millwall this weekend.

As per Leeds Live, Whites boss Farke has confirmed that both Firpo and Sam Byram, who has deputised at left-back this term, are on the verge of re-entering the first-team fold, stating earlier this month: "I also have to say we've got Junior Firpo, we've got Sam Byram who was outstanding there (at left-back). So I hope both will be back on the other end of the International break at least. "It looks good with the rehab of both of them."

Leeds United fans will be desperate for both to return and will hope their side can climb the Sky Bet Championship table following a frustrating start to 2023/24.

Leeds United boss Daniel Farke moved to sign one of his – and the club's – former players during the summer transfer window, as Sam Byram made his return to Elland Road after coming through the academy system as a youngster.

The ex-Norwich City defender arrived on a free transfer and has enjoyed a strong start to his second stint in west Yorkshire under the German head coach.

However, things could have been different if Jesse Marsch had not fumbled an exceptional young talent in Byram's position ahead of the 2022/23 campaign – Leif Davis.

How much did Leeds sell Leif Davis for?

Leeds reportedly sold the academy graduate to Ipswich Town for a fee just in excess of £1m and that figure is starting to look like a huge bargain for the Tractor Boys.

Marsch cashed in on the 23-year-old left-back and that has turned out to be a nightmare of a decision by the former Whites boss as he is now better than Byram and would have been an excellent option for Farke to call upon at the back.

If the former RB Leipzig tactician had a bit more patience with the young defender then the club could have profited from his development on the pitch, instead of moving him on so quickly.

How many chances has Leif Davis created this season?

The Ipswich star, who assisted a staggering 14 goals from full-back in League One last term, has created an eye-catching 23 chances in seven Championship matches this season.

Davis has produced 3.3 key passes per game and produced two 'big chances' for his teammates in the second tier since his side's promotion from the third division.

The 6-foot ace, who has averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.47, has also showcased his ability to consistently disrupt opposition attacks with his defensive quality.

As per Sofascore, the English dynamo has made 3.7 tackles and interceptions combined per game and came out on top in 59% of his duels. This shows that he can hold his own in physical contests and can win possession back for his team multiple times per match.

How many chances has Sam Byram created this season?

Byram, meanwhile, has created four chances for his teammates across seven appearances in the Championship this season for Leeds.

The ex-West Ham United defender has produced 0.6 key passes per game for the Whites, whilst mainly being deployed as a left-back, and this shows that Davis could offer considerably more than him when it comes to making things happen at the top end of the pitch.

Leif Davis' Championship statistics this season:

As per Sofascore, the 30-year-old stopper has also made 2.8 tackles and interceptions per match and won 53% of his individual battles in total.

This suggests that the experienced full-back, who has averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.25 this term, has offered less than Davis from a defensive perspective, both in terms of the volume and efficiency of his actions at the back.

Therefore, Marsch had a nightmare with his sale of the English "animal" – as he was once dubbed by former boss Scott Parker – as their respective statistics this season suggest that the 23-year-old talent is a better option than Byram at left-back.

The defending champions failed in a chase of 168 and now need to win all their remaining six matches to stay in playoff contention

The Report by Vishal Dikshit01-May-2018Virat Kohli doesn’t hold his emotions back•BCCIUmesh Yadav took two wickets off consecutive deliveries with the new ball, Ishan Kishan fell for a golden duck and Royal Challengers Bangalore lost to Mumbai Indians by 46 runs. Two weeks later, Umesh was on a hat-trick with the new ball against Mumbai again, Kishan bagged another golden duck, his third in four innings, but this time Umesh’s opening burst also included Rohit Sharma’s first-ball duck and the Royal Challengers bowling line-up sustained the pressure throughout for once to defend 167 on their home ground and move up to fifth place after only their third win from eight matches.The defending champions, meanwhile, are back in seventh place and need to win all their remaining six matches lest they wish to rely on other teams to help them stay in playoff contention. Rohit opted to bowl and a combined bowling show from the spinners and Hardik Pandya in the death overs was restricting Royal Challengers to under 150 until Colin de Grandhomme’s 10-ball 23 lifted them in the last over. Eventually, the early loss of wickets hurt Mumbai this time and even though the Pandya brothers seemed up to the task of scoring 62 runs from the last five overs, some pin-point bowling with pace variations sealed it for the hosts.RCB and the death oversVirat Kohli had bowled Umesh and Yuzvendra Chahal by the 15th over yet again and the Pandya brothers had the cushion of Ben Cutting to follow in the chase. Among the quicks, only Tim Southee and Mohammed Siraj had two overs left each so Kohli decided to give the 16th to de Grandhomme. He conceded 17, and Mumbai needed 45 from 24 only to see a different story unfold this time. Siraj and Southee bowled a stirring mix of length deliveries, pace variations and wide yorkers to prevent the Pandyas from hitting down the ground. Siraj conceded only one boundary in his last two overs, Southee allowed Mumbai five little singles in the 18th over and Siraj also had Krunal caught at point for 23 to give the visitors a stiff equation of 25 from six. Hardik then hit Southee’s offcutter to long-on and Cutting connected well with only two of the remaining five deliveries. Southee finished with 2 for 25 and a Man of the Match award.Even though their bowling contingent turned the story around, the death overs stung Royal Challengers’ batting line-up this time. They were 123 for 3 with Kohli on 29 and five overs to go, easily set for 175. However, Jasprit Bumrah had two overs left, and Hardik bowled offcutters and slower ones consistently to remove Mandeep Singh, Kohli and Washington Sundar in the 18th over for only two runs. Bumrah didn’t get all his yorkers right but the batsman couldn’t middle many either. Only one of his final 12 deliveries went to the boundary and there were five dots among them as well. So, Royal Challengers found themselves 143 for 7 with one over to go. Fortunately and decisively for them, de Grandhomme smacked three sixes off the last four balls, including a free hit, for a competitive total.The costly Mumbai oversBarring three expensive overs, Mumbai conceded only 101 runs in 17 overs on Tuesday night. Most of the Mumbai bowlers strangled the batsmen, not letting any of them, except de Grandhomme, finish with a strike rate of over 150. It was the remaining three overs that Royal Challengers cashed in on to hammer 66 runs.The first of those was the fourth over, by JP Duminy. Opener Manan Vohra smacked the part-time spinner for 20 runs off the first four balls with two sixes and as many fours in the 22-run over. Duminy was probably used in the Powerplay because of a left-handed opener – Quinton de Kock – but bowled only one ball to him out of 12. The second expensive over was Hardik’s after Brendon McCullum had scratched his way to nine off six balls. In the 10th over, he dispatched two full-tosses for consecutive sixes, the first of them a no-ball, and then struck the fourth legitimate delivery, a knuckleball, through the covers for four. Twenty off the over. It shot their run rate above eight an over but there was more to come, right at the end.Mitchell McClenaghan started the last over impressively with three singles before de Grandhomme launched an offcutter over midwicket, collected two down the ground, hit a six off a no-ball and ended the innings with a free hit he smoked over long-off. Royal Challengers had gone from 146 to 167 in only three legitimate deliveries.Mumbai’s spinners stifle RCB early onRohit surprisingly decided to open the bowling with Duminy in a spin-heavy first nine overs and the move worked brilliantly except in that fourth over. Duminy extracted sharp turn and bounce in the first over with five dot balls and almost had Vohra caught at midwicket for 6. McClenaghan used a mix of back-of-length and slower deliveries to concede only seven in his first two overs and had de Kock caught at midwicket for a 13-ball 7. Seeing the turn on offer, Rohit bowled Krunal and Mayank Markande from overs six to nine to see them beat the bat, bowl stifling lines and concede only 24 runs, including Vohra’s wicket for 45.Mumbai were similarly shackled in the middle overs but that was down to the early wickets and even though Hardik batted before his brother for a slightly brisk fifty, he and Duminy had to do a lot of consolidation after they were 47 for 4 in the eighth over. Umesh brought two in sharply to trap Suryakumar lbw for 9 and had Rohit inside edge one next ball to de Kock diving full-length behind the stumps. Kishan was bowled by Southee in the first over.

Sometimes, mistakes happen. But when they affect the outcomes of big matches, the consequences can be huge. Occasionally, the idea of replays to resolve these errors is floated about, although they rarely come to pass.

One example of this occurred in 1999, when Arsenal beat Sheffield United in an FA Cup fifth-round tie at Highbury through a winner from Marc Overmars. However, the Dutchman’s goal came about from the hosts giving the ball back to the Blades after they kicked the ball out so a player could receive treatment.

Arsenal won 2-1, but Arsene Wenger offered Steve Bruce’s side a replay, which was eventually won by the same scoreline nine days later.

But who else could have taken a leaf out of Wenger’s book? We look at 10 controversial fixtures that we think should have started again from scratch.

10 Arsenal v Brentford – 2023

11th February 2023 – Arsenal 1-1 Brentford: The Gunners dropped two vital points in their quest to dethrone Manchester City as Premier League champions in the 2022/23 season.

But it turns out that Ivan Toney’s 74th-minute equaliser should’ve been disallowed as the three-minute VAR review came to the incorrect decision.

They failed to check an offside in the build-up to the goal, which saw Christian Norgaard – in an offside position – cross the ball for the England international to head home.

PGMOL apologised to Arsenal and put the blunder down to ‘human error’, though Mikel Arteta still wasn’t best pleased.

“It wasn’t human error, it was not understanding your job. That’s not acceptable, I’m sorry. It cost Arsenal two points that are not going to be restored so we are going to have to find those two points somewhere else in the league,” the Gunners boss said.

9 Huddersfield Town v Nottingham Forest – 2022

29th May 2022 – Huddersfield 0-1 Nottingham Forest: The 2022 Championship play-off final saw two Huddersfield Town penalty claims waved away by referee Jon Moss and VAR.

The first incident saw Harry Toffolo go down under the challenge of Jack Colback, but Moss chose to award Forest a free kick and book the Town left-back for simulation.

However, replays showed that Colback did indeed make contact, yet VAR chose to stick with the on-field decision. Town’s second claim – which saw Lewis O’Brien clumsily tripped by Max Lowe – was also dismissed by Moss without the decision being overturned.

Forest ultimately went on to win the final 1-0, thus gaining promotion to the Premier League, ending their 23-year wait for top-flight football.

The players seemingly knew they rode their luck as Steve Cook alluded to the dubious decision at the victory parade: “We’ll thank Jon Moss today – what a ******* guy! We love VAR! Up the Tricky Trees.,” Cook said.

8 Spurs v Liverpool – 2019

1st June 2019 – Tottenham Hotspur 0-2 Liverpool: A dubious handball decision against Moussa Sissoko 22 seconds into the Champions League final saw Liverpool awarded a controversial penalty.

Sadio Mané’s close-range cross appeared to deflect off Sissoko’s chest and onto his outstretched arm, which he was using to direct his teammates.

Mohamed Salah converted the spot-kick, and of course, from then on, the game state is totally different as Mauricio Pochettino’s side had to chase the game and climb an uphill battle.

Following Klopp’s comments suggesting his side’s recent game against Spurs should be replayed – Jan Vertonghen took to X (formerly Twitter) to confirm his desire for this fixture to be replayed.

7 Aston Villa v Sheffield United – 2020

17th June 2020 – Aston Villa 0-0 Sheffield United: The Premier League returned to action after a 100-day absence as the Villans held the high-flying Blades to a goalless draw, leaving the home side one point adrift of safety.

The game, however, was marred by a goalline technology blunder as Oliver Norwood’s free-kick effort – which quite clearly crossed the line – wasn’t picked up by the faulty equipment.

The West Midlanders ended up surviving the drop by a point, whilst Bournemouth, Watford and Norwich all suffered relegation to the second tier. The former two sides finished just a point behind 17th-placed Villa, which further amplifies this fixture’s blunder.

6 Barcelona v Arsenal – 2011

8th March 2011 – Barcelona 3-1 Arsenal (agg 4-3): The 10 men of Arsenal were dumped out of the Champions League knockouts after they were convincingly beaten by Pep Guardiola’s side on the night.

But it wasn’t all going to plan for the hosts until Robin van Persie’s controversial red card. The game was level at that point, with Arsenal leading on aggregate after Sergio Busquets’s own goal cancelled out Lionel Messi’s opener.

The Dutch forward’s dismissal gave the Catalan giants a huge advantage, which they took ruthlessly as Xavi added a second before Messi scored from the spot to put his side 4-3 up on aggregate.

The decisive sending-off was a baffling decision, as Van Persie picked up a second yellow and a red for kicking the ball one second after the referee’s whistle.

He claimed he didn’t hear the whistle, but the referee’s decision stood, and Arsenal were left with a lofty mountain to climb. To this day, it’s still considered one of the worst decisions in recent Champions League history and one that left Van Persie seething.

“I think it was a total joke. How can I hear his whistle with 95,000 people jumping up? How can I hear it? Please explain that. I can’t understand the view from the ref. One second from his whistle to my shot is a joke. He has been bad all evening. He was against us. I don’t know why he was here tonight, it’s a joke,” the Gunners forward said post-match.

5 Spain v South Korea – 2002

22nd June 2002 – Spain 0-0 South Korea (South Korea won 5-3 on penalties): A joyous moment for South Korea as they headed through to the semi-finals of the 2002 World Cup, but there was complete outrage from the Spaniards, who felt the referee made a series of key errors.

Spain saw two perfectly fine goals disallowed and any progress they made was halted by numerous offside flags. The officials were unable to leave the pitch at the close of the game as the Spanish players made their feelings known about the atrocious officiating.

“Everyone saw two perfectly good goals. If Spain didn’t win it’s because they didn’t let us win,” Spain midfielder Ivan Helguera said post-match.

It simply has to go down as the worst refereeing display at a World Cup – certainly in this century, at least.

4 Liverpool v Chelsea – 2005

3rd May 2005 – Liverpool 1-0 Chelsea: Luis Garcia’s fourth-minute opener was the only goal of the game as the hosts progressed to the Champions League final.

However, it wasn’t without controversy, with José Mourinho claiming Garcia’s goal hadn’t crossed the line, and he was probably right. Reds boss Rafa Benitez was unwilling to say whether he thought the ball had gone in, which is perhaps even more telling.

Sky Sports even used their very own video technology to show that the whole ball hadn’t actually crossed the line, to the despair of Blues fans.

3 Barcelona v Chelsea – 2009

6th May 2009 – Chelsea 1-1 Barcelona: Andres Iniesta’s stoppage-time strike broke Chelsea’s hearts as they were denied a spot in what would’ve been their second successive Champions League final.

The intense semi-final clash saw the hosts appeal for numerous penalties and it looked as though at least three of their claims were wrongfully dismissed.

The referee on the night, Tom Henning Ovrebo, has since admitted to making mistakes in the hotly contested encounter at Stamford Bridge.

“It was not my best day really. Some days you are not at the level you should be. I can’t be proud of that performance. There were several errors and everyone will have their opinion of those plays,” Ovrebo said.

2 France v Ireland – 2009

18th November 2009 – France 1-1 Republic of Ireland (agg 2-1): France hosted the Republic of Ireland in the second leg of the 2010 World Cup play-offs. The decisive game was marred by a blatant handball that wasn’t given against Barcelona forward Thierry Henry.

The fixture was, of course, pre-VAR, so the extra-time winner couldn’t be disallowed, despite Henry clearly handling the ball before squaring the ball for William Gallas to head home.

Shay Given led the Ireland remonstrances but the goal stood and Stephen Kenny’s side were cruelly denied a place in South Africa.

Henry told reporters after the game: “Yes, it was a handball. I know it’s difficult to accept. The ball came to me and rebounded off my hand. Of course, I passed the ball into the centre [for the goal]. Of course, when it comes down to it, I’m not the referee.”

1 Germany v England – 2010

27th June 2010 – Germany 4-1 England: The last-16 clash at the South Africa World Cup saw one of the most controversial moments in the Three Lions’ recent history.

Frank Lampard’s well-struck half-volley bounced in off the crossbar to put England level, yet incredibly, the referee waved play on and the score remained 2-1.

Replays showed the ball had crossed the line by two or three feet, and Fabio Capello’s side were left to rue that horrendous call, as they eventually fell to a 4-1 defeat, whilst Germany advanced through to the quarter-finals of the competition.

Years later, Lampard admitted the error ‘changed the game for the better’ as goal-line technology was introduced.