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Their contrasting methods, both utterly devastating, gave India a glimpse of an exhilarating ODI future

Saurabh Somani19-Jul-20215:10

Muralidaran: India’s ‘fearless’ batters went after ‘not very good’ SL attack

“They were bowling some good balls which I converted into boundaries.” That was Prithvi Shaw at the post-match presentation, after India had romped to a seven-wicket win with 80 balls to spare against Sri Lanka.Shaw had jump-started a chase of 263 as if India had to get them in 20 overs and not 50. Ishan Kishan, on debut, made more runs and wasn’t tardy either, with a 42-ball 59. Shikhar Dhawan top-scored, anchoring the chase smoothly with 86 not out off 95. And yet, it didn’t feel out of place that the Player-of-the-Match award went to Shaw for his 43 off 24 balls. The remarkable aspect of India’s chase was, it would have felt just as right if it had gone to Kishan.A right-hand opener from Mumbai with a Test century on debut, Dhawan, and a left-hand batter earmarked for bigger things since his days as Under-19 captain. That was India’s top three. Not Rohit Sharma, Dhawan and Virat Kohli – this was Shaw, Dhawan and Kishan.Shaw and Kishan might never fill the big boots their batting positions have been occupied by for so long and with such success. But that isn’t the expectation placed on them either, anyway. They came with license to thrill, and delivered on that promise spectacularly.India’s chase was done in 36.4 overs, and both Shaw and Kishan were out less than halfway through it, but the memories of this game will be formed by their batting. Shaw was all pristine timing, seemingly finding the boundary without even trying to. Kishan, on the other hand, was very visibly trying to find the boundary, and succeeding.When Shaw gets his bat flowing smoothly, the runs come almost effortlessly. One of his checked drives to a Dushmantha Chameera slower ball raced to the long-off boundary. He didn’t have pace on the ball to work with, he had virtually no follow-through, and yet he found the boundary. Pure timing. In his first 22 balls, Shaw hit nine fours. And it would be ten in 23 balls if you attribute the bouncer that rattled his helmet and went for leg-byes to him too.It was glorious, I-don’t-care-what-the-target-is-I’m-having-a-net batting. Within five overs, Shaw had driven India to 57 without loss. An outstanding score in a T20 start. The kind of ODI start you want when your team is chasing 350-plus. A ridiculous shutting out of the opposition when the target is 263.No follow-through, no problem for Prithvi Shaw•AFP/Getty ImagesWith Sri Lanka already pounded by Shaw, Kishan came out and enjoyed the most glorious first two balls anyone could have wished for. Skip, dance, swing, six. Lunge, transfer weight, lash, four. He might be the only player in ODI history to have seen his career strike rate dip by a 100 points, from 600.00 to 500.00, in one ball, despite hitting it to the boundary.Where Shaw’s economy of movement caught the eye, Kishan’s extravagance was the kind you couldn’t tear your gaze away from. He seemed to be operating in a crease that was twice the normal size, twinkling down the track as frequently as he stayed put, swishing his bat in arcs well away from his body. If Sri Lanka had only a glimmer of still making a contest of this game post-Shaw, Kishan stomped on those hopes forcefully.Shaw might have got runs without going looking for them. Kishan went looking, and was just as successful.It was exhilarating batting because this has not been India’s start-of-innings template for the most part in ODIs. Not that they have been slow – they couldn’t have been and had so much success in the format – but the prototype of an Indian innings is one that gathers steam. This one began with an explosion.The lull that followed Kishan’s wicket was brief, the pace picking up again when Suryakumar Yadav – also on ODI debut – walked in at the fall of the third wicket.”I was telling them to take it easy actually,” a beaming Dhawan would say after his captaincy career got off the blocks with an emphatic win. “The way these young boys play in the IPL, they get lots of exposure and they just finished the game in the first 15 overs only. I thought about my hundred but there were not many runs left. When Surya came out to bat, I thought I need to improve my skills!”All said with a guffaw and disarming candor. Taking it easy is not the natural style of Shaw or Kishan. Or Suryakumar for that matter. In a year that will have the T20 World Cup, this frenetic approach in ODIs might not be a bad idea.

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Endrick ganhou a atenção de todo o mundo nos amistosos da Seleção Brasileira contra Inglaterra e Espanha, disputados em março, e Andreas Pereira parece ter sido impressionado pelo jovem. Em entrevista ao canal “Five”, do ex-zagueiro e lenda inglesa Rio Ferdinand, o jogador do Fullham foi questionado sobre a joia do Palmeiras e “explicou” o sucesso do companheiro de Brasil.

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– Endrick… eu não sei a palavra em inglês, no Brasil nos falamos ‘iluminado’. Sabe quando um monte de gente está prestes a nascer, e Deus fala: ‘Esse é o cara’. No treinamento, se você acerta o travessão, a bola para no pé dele e ‘boom’, gol. Deu rebote, a bola para no pé dele e gol. Ele é incrível, sempre está no lugar certo, sempre querendo melhorar. Ele é um monstro – disse Andreas Pereira.

O meio-campista também foi destaque nos últimos amistosos da Seleção, em março. Contra a Inglaterra, o jogador do Fullham entrou em campo no segundo tempo ao lado do jovem do Palmeiras. Foi de Andreas, inclusive, o passe para Vini Jr. na jogada que gerou o gol de Endrick na vitória do Brasil por 1 a 0.

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Andreas PereiraEndrick

While the defeat to Aston Villa has taken the wind out of their sails somewhat, Arsenal are still having an excellent season.

Mikel Arteta’s side are top of the Champions League table, having won five of five, and still sit two points clear atop the Premier League table.

However, while most of the team are playing at the level expected, a few stars aren’t quite where the manager would want them to be.

This latter camp includes one of Arteta’s most significant signings, who, if he doesn’t start improving, could become Arsenal’s new Nicolas Pepe.

What went wrong for Nicolas Pepe at Arsenal

In the summer of 2019, after Unai Emery’s first season in the dugout, Arsenal decided to go big in the transfer market, spending what was then a club record fee of around £72m to sign Pepe.

While the figure did raise a few eyebrows at the time, it wasn’t considered too outlandish as, in 41 appearances in the 17/18 season, the winger racked up a sensational haul of 23 goals and 12 assists.

Unfortunately, the Emirates faithful would never see the talented international reach that level during his time in North London.

In his first campaign in England, the former LOSC Lille star managed a reasonable, if a little underwhelming tally of eight goals and ten assists in 42 appearances.

However, as it was his first season in a new league, and he produced a goal involvement in the quarter-final, semi-final and final of the FA Cup, fans gave him some leeway.

Unfortunately, he also failed to hit the heady height of his Lille numbers the following season, ending it with a tally of 16 goals and five assists in 47 games, with ten of those goal involvements coming in the Europa League.

The 21/22 campaign would prove to be his last in red and white as Bukayo Saka was now well and truly Arteta’s first-choice right winger.

The 30-year-old spent the next two years on loan, first with Nice in France, and then with Turkish outfit Trabzonspor.

Arsenal finally agreed to terminate Pepe’s contract in the summer of 2024, and the player who was supposed to be the club’s superstar attacker left with a middling tally of 27 goals and 21 assists in 112 appearances.

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Since then, the Gunners have been a bit better at spending money, but there is one of Arteta’s signings who could end up following the Ivorian’s path, lest he improve, and quickly.

Arsenal's new Nicolas Pepe

Now, it’s still early in the season, so making any concrete predictions about Arsenal’s summer signings would be unwise.

However, as things stand, the attacker who has somewhat underwhelmed since his big-money move, and could go down a similar route to Pepe, is Viktor Gyokeres.

Like the Ivorian, the Swedish international joined the Gunners for a fairly sizable fee off the back of a truly sensational season in a weaker league.

For example, the “absolute steam train,” as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, scored 54 goals and provided 13 assists in just 52 appearances.

Moreover, while nobody expected him to recreate those numbers in England, fans would have expected more than what he has delivered thus far.

For example, even though he hasn’t been a total flop like some other striker signings this season, the 27-year-old’s return of just six goals in 17 appearances is underwhelming.

Furthermore, all four of his Premier League goals have come against relegation candidates, and in games against the big sides earlier in the season, he looked somewhat out of his depth. As Gary Neville said earlier this term, he’s a bit of a “misfit.”

Appearances

52

17

Minutes

4248′

1130′

Goals

54

6

Assists

13

0

Finally, with Mikel Merino contributing up top, Gabriel Jesus back in matchday squads and reports that Kai Havertz is set to come right back in as Arteta’s first choice before Christmas, it’s not difficult to see a world in which the Stockholm-born powerhouse becomes a rotation option.

That was evident against Aston Villa. Arteta relied on the Swede to make a difference, bring him on at half-time for Merino. Yet, in his 45 minutes on the field, the centre-forward only had 11 touches of the ball and completed just four passes. He didn’t even have a single shot.

With all that said, there is still plenty of time for the former Coventry City star to come good, especially if he starts the next two games against Club Brugge and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Ultimately, the next six months will be vital in determining whether Gyokeres becomes Arsenal’s next superstar striker or their next Nicolas Pepe.

Their new Ozil: Arsenal ramp up move to sign £88m "generational talent"

The incredible talent could be a real game-changer for Arsenal and become Arteta’s own Mesut Ozil.

2 ByJack Salveson Holmes 6 days ago

Liverpool are in an unfamiliar state of flux in the Premier League and Fabrizio Romano has now delivered a definitive update over Arne Slot’s future at Anfield.

The Reds have failed to build on their title win last campaign and suffered a heavy 3-0 loss at home to Nottingham Forest at the weekend, with several of their big hitters underperforming in a disastrous display against Sean Dyche’s men.

Of course, certain factors have made it difficult for Slot to enjoy the same success that he managed to achieve on Merseyside last season, albeit their summer transfer spend of over £400 million has meant plenty of criticism is being thrown their way after new additions failing to adapt to life at the club.

PSV Eindhoven await in what is set to be a crucial Champions League encounter, not only to keep the Reds on course for a top eight league phase finish, but also to alleviate growing noise surrounding his tenure with results flattering to deceive.

Ultimately, there has been a collective fall below usual standards at Liverpool that has been uncharacteristic to say the least. Not only do they sit in the bottom half of the Premier League, they are also 11 points behind in a title race that was anticipated to be tight from the outset by most in English football.

Form is temporary and class is permanent is a saying that many Reds fans hope will ring true over the coming weeks. Either way, their side now face the challenge of proving that is the case, especially given they have a heavy festive schedule to come that will require full use of a squad that look out of sorts.

Slot is in the firing line and some are seriously starting to question his credentials. Providing an update on his future, renowned journalist Romano has given an insight regarding what could happen next.

Fabrizio Romano delivers Arne Slot Liverpool update

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano has stated that despite Liverpool’s poor performances under Slot, he will be given time to turn their situation around and retains the full backing of the Anfield hierarchy.

He said: “Obviously, losing six of the last seven Premier League games is something not at Liverpool level. The results are unacceptable, Liverpool and everyone at the club knows that. At the same time, my information to answer many questions on our podcast Men In Blazers is that Liverpool at the moment are not activating any contact to replace Arne Slot.

“At this stage, the situation is still under control. It’s complicated, it’s difficult, it’s an emergency situation. Liverpool are internally discussing about this topic, the manager, the management, the staff, all have all together, been given some responsibility, of course, also to the players.

“It’s not just Arne Slot, it’s also the players. If you look at some of the games, it looks crazy how Liverpool players really can’t perform in some of these games at their usual level.

“But at this stage, I’m told that of course, Arne Slot knows that this situation must change as soon as possible, especially in the Premier League more than in the Champions League. In the Premier League is important for Liverpool to change this situation. As of now, Liverpool as a club, owners, management, still back the manager, support the manager and want to see different results as soon as possible.”

Jurgen Klopp's seven-word answer when asked about returning to Liverpool

The iconic manager has already had his say.

ByTom Cunningham Nov 22, 2025

Rumours may be swirling around his future, though it seems as if Liverpool are in no rush to make any rash decisions, with Slot likely still retaining plenty of credit in the bank from last season.

In a fluid situation, that may change if results are to continue on the same trajectory, but the former Feyenoord boss looks to be safe for now ahead of their double header against PSV and West Ham United.

Being an MLB announcer has its own workplace hazards, too.

A scary moment occurred during MLB spring training when Seattle Mariners radio broadcaster Rick Rizzs was suddenly hit by a foul ball while in the booth for Monday’s Cactus League game against the Milwaukee Brewers.

The incident happened in the fifth inning of the Mariners’ 7-5 loss, when Brewers’ Rhys Hoskins fouled off a 1-2 fastball and sent the ball hurtling backward. The ball soared over the net at American Family Fields of Phoenix and toward the Mariners’ visiting radio booth, where Rizzs and broadcasting partner Gary Hill were sitting.

Rizzs could be heard saying, “A swing and a foul,” on the radio call before getting hit in the head by the foul ball, leading to what sounded like grunts of pain from the longtime Mariners broadcaster.

Here’s audio of the scary moment: 

Thankfully, Rizzs didn’t sustain any major injuries and will reportedly be back on the call on Wednesday when the Mariners play the Kansas City Royals.

“Folks, I want to let you know that I took a pretty good shot to the back of my head with a foul ball up here in the radio booth,” Rizzs said on the air after getting checked out by medical staff. “I got a good-sized bump on my head, but I’m going to be O.K. My mom always said I’ve had a hard head, Gary, so it paid off today. I could not believe that ball got up here that quickly.”

England boss Thomas Tuchel says he would consider singing God Save the King at next year's World Cup but joked he is not sure he has earned that right yet. The German was announced as Gareth Southgate's successor just over a year ago, sparking much consternation in certain quarters. But after an upturn in form, Tuchel believes that if the positive results keep coming, he may be singing the English anthem soon.

• Push back over Tuchel appointment

  When Tuchel was sworn in as England's new manager, following a successful and long spell with Southgate at the helm, not everyone was thrilled. Some media outlets wanted a British manager, as did ex-Premier League manager Harry Redknapp. But the former Bayern Munich boss said he was "proud" to take up the challenge of guiding England to their first World Cup triumph since 1966.

  "I am very proud to have been given the honour of leading the England team," he said in October 2024. "I have long felt a personal connection to the game in this country, and it has given me some incredible moments already. To have the chance to represent England is a huge privilege, and the opportunity to work with this special and talented group of players is very exciting. Working closely with Anthony [Barry] as my assistant coach, we will do everything we can to make England successful and the supporters proud. I want to thank The FA, in particular Mark and John, for their trust and I am looking forward to starting our journey together."

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Tuchel feels the love from England

  The German guided Chelsea to Champions League glory in 2021 before being sacked in 2022. He has spent more of his managerial career in Germany but Tuchel admitted he has a certain fondness for England, something that he doesn't always feel in his homeland. 

  He said, "I feel that we are very critical of each other in Germany, especially with players and coaches, not only me. It's very hard to escape it once you're in it… so there is a picture, and this is the picture for years and years. I felt more appreciation in England, yes. This is just a fact."

• Tuchel teases English national anthem singing

  Tuchel is the third non-English manager to take charge of the Three Lions after Sven Goran-Eriksson and Fabio Capello. So, will he sing the English anthem?

  He told reporters on Friday: "I will earn it with results, with building a group, with doing my job properly and by creating a feeling where maybe even you guys say at some point, 'Now it's time that you sing it, it feels like you properly earned it and you're a proper English guy now'. Maybe I have to dive more into the culture and earn my right from you, from the players, from the supporters, so everyone feels like, 'He should sing it now, he's one of our own, he's the English manager, he should sing it'."

  Asked if he believed he had earned the right to sing the national anthem now, he said with a grin: "You think it is already there? I will think about it."

  Asked if he might sing the national anthem at the World Cup, he again smiled and said, "Yeah, maybe. Let's see."

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  What comes next for Tuchel's England?

  England are eyeing a 100 per cent winning record for their World Cup qualifying campaign after beating Serbia 2-0 on Thursday to make it seven wins from seven games. Next up is second-placed Albania on Sunday. The Three Lions are also trying to go the entire campaign without conceding a goal, with Tuchel's side having a goal difference of +20.

  After the Serbia win, Tuchel said: "It was a difficult match. It was complicated because they knew everything about us and we knew nothing about them. Go through the list of players, they are at top clubs, they play in top leagues. They have individual quality, they came with new energy and they made it a final for them. I liked the first half a lot. I think we deserved to go up, I think we deserved to have maybe a second goal with Harry's header. Second-half, we didn't get the pressing right all the time, they escaped sometimes from the deep build-up into fast attacks so the back four had to work hard to keep the clean sheet. We had to overcome some difficult moments but I like it, not everything is easy. Not every win is 2-0, 3-0, 5-0. It is good. We kept a clean sheet and it was decisive in the end."

MatériaMais Notícias

O Palmeiras foi eliminado pelo Boca Juniors, na semifinal da Libertadores, no Allianz Parque. Assim, é natural que o torcedor tenha o desejo de mudanças para o próximo ano, já que estamos em outubro e 2023 já está quase acabando. No entanto, o planejamento do clube não deve ser muito diferente para 2024. A novidade é que Anderson Barros admitiu que o Verdão está de olho em Bruno Henrique, do Flamengo.

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+ Veja tabela e classificação do Brasileirão-2023 clicando aqui

Diretor de futebol do Alviverde desde 2020, Barros raramente dá entrevistas e muito pouco fala de contratações. Após o duelo diante do Boca, o dirigente passou pela zona mista do estádio e respondeu sobre possíveis contratações, principalmente a do atacante rubro-negro, que está em fim de contrato por lá. Sem negar alguma negociação pelo atleta, o cartola palmeirense disse acompanhar a situação de Bruno.

– Sobre contratações, vocês acompanham o Palmeiras há algum tempo e nós nunca nos colocamos em relação ao que nós temos planejado. Bruno Henrique é um grande atleta, é um atleta que tem um contrato que termina neste final de ano e não tem porque o Palmeiras não estar acompanhando essa situação.

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Bruno Henrique tem vínculo com o Flamengo até dezembro deste ano. Por enquanto, as negociações com seu atual clube estão emperradas e ainda não foram retomadas como era previsto. O Verdão deve aguardar que se esgotem as possibilidades no Rubro-Negro para fazer uma proposta oficial. Neste momento, o Alviverde apenas manifesta o interesse.

Anderson Barros admitiu que a eliminação doeu para todos internamente no Palmeiras, mas nem por isso o clube deve iniciar uma caça às bruxas. Isso serve para o atual momento quanto para a próxima temporada. Ou seja, de acordo com o dirigente, o ano de 2024 deve seguir o mesmo planejamento, o qual ele considera que tem sido ótimo nos últimos tempos.

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– Não existe um planejamento que vai acontecer agora ou por um resultado. O planejamento ocorre a todo instante. O tempo inteiro o Palmeiras está buscando, tentando se planejar, tentando se organizar. Ele sabe mais uma vez daquilo que seu torcedor deseja e o Palmeiras só precisa acreditar no que tem feito até agora e continuaremos a fazer.

+ Saiba quanto o Palmeiras vai deixar de faturar pela eliminação na Libertadores

– O Palmeiras tem um elenco, uma equipe base de atleta que vem conquistando muito, todas as nossas decisões são tomadas baseadas em estudos, pesquisas, para que a gente possa entender o cenário não só do Palmeiras, mas o cenário mundial, no sentido da manutenção de equipes base para que você possa manter a competitividade. Acredito e entendo que a maioria desses nosso atletas ainda têm muito a entregar à instituição.

Sem Libertadores, o Verdão agora foca na disputa do Brasileirão, no qual está na quarta posição, oito pontos atrás do líder Botafogo. Neste domingo, o Alviverde recebe o Santos, na Arena Barueri, às 16h, já que o Allianz Parque será palco do show do cantor The Weeknd.

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Bruno HenriquePalmeiras

Celtic confirmed their place in the last four of the League Cup on Sunday afternoon with a comfortable 4-0 win over Partick Thistle away from home.

The Hoops strolled to a victory that was never in any serious doubt throughout the 90 minutes, thanks to goals from Hyun-jun Yang, Liam Scales, Sebastian Tounekti, and Luke McCowan.

After a promising debut against Kilmarnock last time out, creating four chances (per Sofascore), Tounekti caught the eye once again with his performance on the left flank.

Why Sebastian Tounekti is already a star player for Celtic

Brendan Rodgers handed the Tunisia international another start after his bow in the Scottish Premiership last weekend, and was rewarded with an impressive display.

Tounekti was a constant threat down the left side, particularly in the first half, and Premier Sports pundit Michael Stewart described him as the “danger man” for Celtic, because he “unsettles” defenders.

He was heavily involved in the opening goal for the Hoops with his excellent pass in behind for Benjamin Nygren to cross to the far post for Yang, as shown in the clip below.

The left-sided attacker then showed his quality in front of goal by scoring after a one-two with Kelechi Iheanacho, which is why the forward should be considered a star player for the team already, as he can create, he can dribble, and he can score goals.

Tounekti was far from the only impressive performer on the park for the Scottish giants, though, as Iheanacho showed that he is a player for the fans to be excited about.

Why Celtic fans should be excited about Kelechi Iheanacho

After the disappointment of deadline day, it would be hard to blame any supporter for not being too excited by the arrival of the Nigeria international on a free transfer after Sevilla were willing to terminate his contract.

The left-footed striker only scored four goals in 26 appearances in all competitions in the 2024/25 campaign, per Sofascore, for Middlesbrough and Sevilla combined, which did little to help the lack of excitement around his signing.

However, Iheanacho’s first two performances have shown that he is a player who the supporters should be excited about, after scoring a 96th-minute penalty against Kilmarnock on his debut last weekend.

Minutes

20

Touches

9

Shots

3

Goals

1

Passes completed

3/5

Duels won

0/2

The former Manchester City striker was rewarded with his first start for the club for this clash with Partick Thistle and delivered an impressive centre-forward showing.

Premier Sports commentator Rory Hamilton claimed that Iheanacho and Tounekti are players “to be excited about” moving forward this season, and both players combined for the third goal in the match for Celtic.

As you can see in the clip above, the Celtic striker did brilliantly to flick the ball round the corner to tee the winger up to score, showing great awareness, creativity, and technical ability.

That was not a one-off for Iheanacho in the match. He consistently held the ball up and produced impressive flicks to find teammates making advances towards the opposition’s box.

The 28-year-old star, who was handed a 7/10 player rating by GlasgowWorld, was a fantastic facilitator for his teammates with the creativity and reliability in his hold-up play, against Partick Thistle defenders who wanted to get tight and physical with him.

Iheanacho was as good as Tounekti, as both players showed that they were too good for the opposition to deal with, and supporters must now be excited about what the forward can produce over the course of an entire season if he can stay fit.

Worth more than Tounekti: Celtic are brewing the new Reo Hatate at Parkhead

Celtic have a brilliant midfield star who could be the club’s next Reo Hatate in the middle of the park.

ByDan Emery Sep 16, 2025

Hopefully, Rodgers will select both players in the starting line-up when Celtic kick off their Europa League campaign against Red Star Belgrade on Wednesday night.

Celtic secured their place in the semi-finals of the League Cup on Sunday with a fantastic 4-0 win over Partick Thistle away from Parkhead at Firhill.

The Hoops strolled to a comfortable victory against the second tier outfit, who have not been in the Scottish Premiership in seven years, with four different goalscorers.

Hyun-jun Yang, Liam Scales, Sebastian Tounekti, and Luke McCowan all got their names on the scoresheet, and Tounekti was particularly impressive again.

The summer signing from Hammarby caught the eye against Kilmarnock, creating four chances (per Sofascore), and played an important role in the first goal against Partick Thistle with his pass for Benjamin Nygren, before going on to score his first goal for the club.

Brendan Rodgers will hope that the comfortable win will provide his squad with the confidence that they need to hit the ground running in the Europa League against Red Star Belgrade on Wednesday night.

One Celtic player who needs to step up on the pitch in the coming weeks after a string of unimpressive displays is central midfielder Reo Hatate.

Why Reo Hatate needs to step up for Celtic

The Japan international put in a decent showing against Partick Thistle, a Championship outfit, but it was not a mesmerising performance that made up for some of his recent outings.

Hatate’s form has not been up to the standards that he has set himself throughout his Celtic career, particularly with his displays in the Champions League qualifier clashes against Kairat.

The Hoops failed to qualify for the league phase of the competition, losing on penalties after two 0-0 draws, and the midfielder’s lack of contributions in and out of possession played a part in that.

Reo Hatate vs Kairat	1st leg	2nd leg
Minutes	90	105
Shots on target	1	0
Pass accuracy	84%	68%
Big chances created	0	1
Duels won	0/8	3/15
Fouls committed	3	4
Possession lost	16x	25x
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Hatate was far too wasteful with the ball at his feet and weak off the ball, losing the majority of his duels, across the two matches.

The 27-year-old star also failed to score a goal or create a ‘big chance’ for the team in his last two appearances in the Scottish Premiership for the Hoops, which shows that he has struggled in recent weeks outside of his showing against a lower tier opponent.

Hatate scored ten goals, including the one in the clip above, and created 14 ‘big chances’ for his teammates in the Premiership in the 2024/25 campaign, per Sofascore, but he has been unable to deliver the same level of consistency in the final third this term.

This is why the Japan international needs to step up for the Scottish giants, because he is capable of being an exceptional performer for the club in the middle of the park with his ability at the top end of the pitch.

If Hatate is unable to recapture the form that his output last season proved he is capable of, Rodgers must consider removing him from the starting XI for a period of time.

The emergence of Colby Donovan, who has started the last two matches at right-back, shows that the manager is willing to provide academy talent with a chance if they are ready to be thrown in.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

With this in mind, Rodgers could find the next version of Donovan, who has been a solid performer in the last two matches with his defensive reliability and composure in possession, by unleashing Sean McArdle to replace Hatate in the XI.

Why Sean McArdle could replace Reo Hatate for Celtic

Of course, the manager does have club-record signing Arne Engels, who joined for £11m from Augsburg last summer, Luke McCowan, and Paulo Bernardo also at his disposal to select in midfield.

However, the minor success of Donovan, who won five of his nine duels and had 101 touches (per Sofascore) against Kilmarnock, could inspire the head coach to look to the academy once again.

McArdle is not a complete stranger to first-team football at Parkhead. Rodgers rewarded his strong form for the B team with two appearances for the senior side in the Premiership towards the end of the 2024/25 campaign.

The 18-year-old star made his first-team debut as a 17-year-old against Hibernian in the Premiership, playing eight minutes off the bench in a 3-1 win.

As the manager said in the clip above, the young sensation earned his chance through his form for the B team, and it is down to him to take the next step in his career.

McArdle, who Rodgers claimed has “got a wee edge to him”, then played a second match against Aberdeen, again off the bench, and showed promising signs in both outings.

Sean McArdle (Premiership)	Vs Hibernian	Vs Aberdeen
Minutes	8	9
Passes completed	8/8	11/12
Key passes	0	1
Dribbles completed	0	1
Duels won	1/2	1/1
Possession lost	1x	1x
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the teenage whiz only lost possession twice in those 17 minutes, plus stoppage time, of football, whilst creating one chance for the side.

McArdle’s form at youth team level for Celtic also suggests that he can provide the goal threat that Hatate offers at his best, with seven goals in 53 matches, per Transfermarkt.

The Scottish starlet has scored in both of his appearances in the Challenge Cup this season, per Sofascore, including one against Alloa Athletic earlier this month.

These statistics show that he can provide a threat at the top end of the pitch to go along with his composure in possession, as evidenced by his pass accuracy in his first two first-team outings.

He was not phased by the occasion against Hibernian or Aberdeen, showing his class on the ball in both games, and this suggests that he has the mentality to take that next step to be Donovan 2.0 this season.

As good as Tounekti: 7/10 Celtic star is now a player "to be excited about"

This Celtic star was as good as Sebastian Tounekti in the comfortable win over Partick Thistle.

By
Dan Emery

Sep 21, 2025

It is now down to Rodgers to provide McArdle with that opportunity to impress once again to see if he can emerge as a genuine alternative to Hatate, who has been a shadow of himself of late.

SRH have never won against CSK in Chennai. Will the jinx end on Friday?

Alagappan Muthu24-Apr-20252:38

How SRH could get off the mark against CSK in Chennai

Big picture: Former champions’ fading campaignsIPL 2025 is officially just over a month old. Teams are just about starting their return legs. So it is still far too early to rule any team out. Even the two at the bottom. Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) can still make the playoffs if they win each of their remaining six matches starting Friday.Everything has to go right for something like that to happen and that’s really not how the CSK or the SRH campaign has gone this season. With only two wins so far, CSK have equalled their worst start to an IPL. They had two wins from eight games in 2022 as well, when they finished ninth on the table. Both sides have the same problem. Batting.Related

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'There are times when you have to rejig your attitude' but SRH haven't done that

Knight: 'Klaasen is batting far too low. Six overs or a tick over, get him out there'

SRH’s struggles are perplexing because this is the same line-up that made 250s for fun less than a year ago. They even strengthened it by adding Ishan Kishan. Somehow all that firepower keeps failing collectively, which is something CSK might be able to sympathise with. None of their auction picks have worked – barring Noor Ahmad – and even some of their established stars are tracking in the wrong direction.Form guideChennai Super Kings: LWLLL (last five matches, most recent first)
Sunrisers Hyderabad: LLWLLIn the spotlight: Ayush Mhatre and Pat CumminsCSK’s batting line-up used to have a shock absorber. Someone MS Dhoni called a luxury player, who would bat only in case of collapses. Like S Badrinath or Ajinkya Rahane. Experienced hands capable of navigating tricky situations. This year, CSK’s tried and tested have failed, forcing them to look outside the system for solutions. Ayush Mhatre provided the glimpse of one in the last game against Mumbai Indians and on Friday, has another chance to show off his skills.As proof that T20 cricket really does hate bowlers, Pat Cummins, one of the finest of this generation, is the leader of a bowling attack that has been ineffective and expensive. SRH have the fewest wickets (38) and the highest run-rate (10.59) of all 10 teams. Cummins has put himself front and centre to try and find a solution to this, bowling more overs than anybody else in the team, but it hasn’t quite worked. He is their second highest wicket taker, but those wickets are coming at 40 runs apiece.Team news and probable XIIs: SRH could choose an extra spinnerCSK have used 20 of 27 players this season, which makes predicting their XIIs a bit of a lottery. Many of the younger players in the squad were involved in match simulation training at their High Performance Academy on Wednesday. It is learnt new recruit Dewald Brevis batted at No. 4.Chennai Super Kings: 1 Rachin Ravindra, 2 Shaik Rasheed, 3 Ayush Mhatre, 4 Ravindra Jadeja, 5 Shivam Dube, 6 Vijay Shankar, 7 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 8 Jamie Overton, 9 R Ashwin, 10 Noor Ahmad, 11 Khaleel Ahmad, 11 Matheesha PathiranaSRH might want to bring in an extra spinner in Chennai, Rahul Chahar or Kamindu Mendis.Sunrisers Hyderabad: 1 Abhishek Sharma, 2 Travis Head, 3 Ishan Kishan, 4 Nitish Kumar Reddy, 5 Heinrich Klaasen, 6 Aniket Verma, 7 Abhinav Manohar, 8 Pat Cummins, 9 Harshal Patel, 10 Jaydev Unadkat, 11 Rahul Chahar/Zeeshan Ansari, 12 Kamindu Mendis/Eshan Malinga0:42

Knight: Klaasen batting far too low for SRH

The big questionHeinrich Klaasen is SRH’s best batter with 281 runs at an average of 40.14 and strike rate of 159.65. Should he come up the order and shape the game, especially against CSK who are likely to attack with spin, or stay in the middle as the designated finisher?Pitch and conditions: CSK’s struggles against spinSpinners have taken 27 out of the 50 wickets that have fallen at Chepauk this year. But CSK haven’t been in a position to exploit that because their own batting has struggled against spin, including in their most recent home game against Kolkata Knight Riders where they gave up six wickets for 55 runs in 12 overs.Stats and trivia: Dhoni’s 400th T20 match SRH have never won against CSK in Chennai. Will it be their turn to breach the fortress, after Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Delhi Capitals did the same earlier? CSK’s usual win-loss ratio at home (68%) has fallen to 25% this IPL Dhoni will be playing his 400th T20, joining the ranks of Rohit Sharma (456), Dinesh Karthik (412) and Virat Kohli (407) as the most experienced Indians in the format. Shivam Dube rose to prominence as a spin-hitter. This season he has the second-lowest strike rate against spin – 114.86 – among those who have faced at least 50 deliveries. Top of the list is another CSK player, Ravindra Jadeja (87.93). Rahul Chahar has picked up 14 wickets at an economy rate of 6.2, which is only bettered by Sunil Narine’s 5.9 among bowlers who’ve bowled at least 25 overs at Chepauk. He also keeps Dhoni (strike rate 56), Jadeja (SR 88) and Dube (SR 114) quiet. That’s a strong case for SRH to put him in the XI. CSK might save Matheesha Pathirana’s overs for whenever Klaasen comes in to bat. Their head to head in T20 cricket reads 26 runs in 22 balls for three dismissals There are five batters who have faced at least 30 balls in the powerplay and haven’t hit any sixes this IPL. Four of them are in this match: Rachin Ravindra, Devon Conway, Ishan Kishan and Shaik Rasheed.