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There are dispiriting losses, humiliations, and whatever it is that happened to Karachi Kings today. A bowling performance of near perfect discipline by Peshawar Zalmi was followed up by a whirlwind 26-ball 63 from Hazratullah Zazai to conclude one of the more one-sided PSL games in the league’s history.Only Islamabad United have gunned down a target quicker, and even their ten-over chase against Quetta Gladiators earlier this week looked like it would be eclipsed comfortably. In the end, three late wickets slowed things down slightly, but it still meant Zalmi had coasted to the target with nine overs to spare. Karachi Kings’ poor run since the resumption of the league continues, but the damage this defeat will inflict might reflect just as heavily in the minds as it will in the run-rate column.The squeeze began from the outset, with Wahab Riaz trapping Babar Azam in front off just the third delivery. Counter-intuitively, Azam’s duck underlined his importance to the side; over the past few games, his role, and the rate at which he scores his runs, had come under forensic scrutiny. But with him out of the way, few Kings battters could stamp their authority on an innings regularly punctuated by the fall of wickets.Kings might have been hoisted by their own petard to some extent, playing as they were a batters light, meaning they had no fallback plan when four wickets fell inside seven overs. Imad Wasim hobbled along during an innings that never caught fire, managing just 19 off 31. It was Karachi’s ex-player Abrar Ahmed who was the pick for Zalmi in the end, taking three crucial middle-order wickets, denying the Kings a chance at pushing the score past 120. The 108 they finished with was their lowest in PSL history, and even that came about thanks to some lusty lower-order hitting from bowling allrounder Abbas Afridi. In the end, though, Zazai ensured it mattered not one jot.Zazai’s devastating debutZazai is set to become a T20 franchise darling over the years, but even so, the contempt with which he lay waste to experienced, wily Kings bowlers in his first PSL game was a sight to behold. Once Kamran Akmal was dismissed in the second over, Zazai decided he wouldn’t let it scupper plans to wrap up the game in a hurry, and Amir was the unfortunate recipient at the end of his first offensive.The first six was a shade streaky, a top edge over third man, but there was nothing chancy about the three boundaries that followed in an over that leaked 21. It was followed up by an over from the other Aamer Yamin – which proved even costlier, two sixes and two fours from the Afghan seeing him hurtle along to a blitzkrieg half-century. The timing and power were both astonishing, a fearsome 97-metre swipe over square leg perhaps the shot of the night. The 50 would come in just 17 balls – a joint record – and by then, the match had long been over as a contest.Abrar Ahmed took three wickets on his return to T20 cricket•Pakistan Super League

Abrar haunts his old franchiseWhen legspinner Abrar was first introduced to the PSL by Karachi Kings in 2017, he looked a proper mystery spin bowler, one who might go on to become a valuable asset for his franchise. Opportunities were hard to come by and he was let go after a couple of seasons, but making his debut for Peshawar Zalmi, he showed his old side what they missed. Coming in when Imad Wasim’s side were already hobbling after a difficult first ten overs, he kept the Kings on a leash in his first over, allowing just two runs.The 22-year old burst to life in the one that followed, though. He broke the budding partnership with a carrom ball Najibullah Zadran ended up holing out to long-off, before one that drifted back in put paid to Yamin’s brief stint at the crease. With Wahab deciding to bowl him out consecutively, he would sign off by deceiving Waqas Maqsood with a googly, two balls after the batter had smashed him for six. He would end his day with figures of 4-0-14-3, and they didn’t flatter him in the slightest.Where they standKarachi Kings were top when the league resumed, but slipped to fifth, outside the qualification spots. Peshawar Zalmi moved up to 10 points alongside Lahore Qalandars, and into second place.

All members of New Zealand’s Test squad still currently at home have received their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine ahead of the tour of England, and allrounder Colin de Grandhomme is confident he will be fit for the trip as he recovers from the ankle surgery he underwent towards the end of the summer.The squad has been granted early access to the vaccine programme under “reasons of national significance” which will also cover New Zealand’s Tokyo Olympics-bound athletes. The four New Zealand Test players at the IPL – Kane Williamson, Mitchell Santner, Trent Boult and Kyle Jamieson – and also Will Young, who is with Durham, left before the process started.Meanwhile, de Grandhomme has now returned to training ahead of the pre-tour camps that will take place next month before the squad departs for England in mid-May. They play two Tests against the hosts before the World Test Championship final against India in late June.He did not feature at all for New Zealand during the season and though he played domestically primarily as a batter, it was decided that surgery was the best course for de Grandhomme.”Since I’ve had the surgery the ankle has felt real good and it seems to keep getting better and it feels normal again for a change,” he said. “Looks like I’m tracking well at the moment and should be ready to go for ball one if I’m needed.”de Grandhomme has an impressive record in Tests – averaging 37.03 with the bat and 31.63 with the ball in 24 matches – although New Zealand were able to cover his absence strongly against West Indies and Pakistan through a combination of Daryl Mitchell and Mitchell Santner depending on conditions.Mitchell scored a maiden Test century against Pakistan in Christchurch, and New Zealand will also need to consider if they want a spin-bowling option in their playing XI, so it may not be a certainty that de Grandhomme would return even if available, although his bowling is probably more of a threat than Mitchell’s at Test level.Neil Wagner was training alongside de Grandhomme in Mount Maunganui on Tuesday ahead of the official camps where they can make use of a marquee to continuing training on grass with his focus on getting used to the Duke balls used in England.”It’s got little bit different characteristics to what a Kookaburra does so just trying to get used to it and adapting to the different things we’ll come across in England,” Wagner said. “[It’s about] not getting too far ahead of yourself with a Duke ball that tends to swing around a little bit and try too hard.”Having played there in the past, and a number of us now, it’s good that we have a wealth of experience and knowledge in our group to draw back on. [But] every time you go back there’s new things to learn, so to be able to put that into place for what is arguably the most important time of our careers we are really excited about.”Wagner was the last of the home-based players to have his first Covid-19 jab. “We’re really grateful for everything the government has done to this point, firstly in helping us host a safe and successful home summer of international cricket, and now assisting us to access the vaccines in time to tour,” he said.New Zealand may need to patch up their Test side against England depending on the availability of players from the IPL especially after the announcement that India is now a ‘red-list’ country which will likely mean those flying in from the IPL will need extended quarantine.

Robert Lewandowski insists his legacy is something he is very proud of, having broken records in the era of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

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Lewandowski played during duopolyMessi & Ronaldo dominated Ballon d'Or awardsPolish striker proud of his achievementsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Barcelona veteran Lewandowski has reflected on his legacy, having played during an era in which both Messi and Ronaldo proved so dominant. The Poland international has never won the Ballon d'Or – many argue that he should have in 2020 but the prize was not awarded to anybody due to Covid-19. He he has, however, won FIFA's The Best Men's player award twice, as well as two European Golden Boots, and a laundry list of trophies.

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The 36-year-old is still going strong at the top end of the sport, scoring 19 goals in 17 games under the management of Hansi Flick this season. And he claims that he has enjoyed going toe-to-toe with two of the greatest players the sport has seen in recent years.

WHAT LEWANDOWSKI SAID

Lewandowski said to : “I have been playing football in the same era as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. I think I’ve been close to that elite level in some moments and even beat them in different games. I think we can say I was around!

“It means a lot if you get close to guys like this. It makes me very proud to see that in the era of Messi and Ronaldo, sometimes, Lewandowski also managed to break some records and make an impact.”

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Lewandowski will aim to build on his impressive goal tally this season when Barcelona play Celta Vigo on Saturday evening. They will then play Brest in the Champions League.

The trick to being a successful fast bowler in the subcontinent is not just express pace and good intent, but also to work with straighter angles. That’s what Anrich Nortje, who made his debut in India and took his first five-for away from home in Rawalpindi in his 10th Test match, has learned.”At home, if you run in hard, bowl fast and get the ball in the right areas, you’ve already sort of taken a wicket a lot of the time. But, particularly in the last while, I try to keep my angles – even where I start running from – as straight as possible. That’s helped me a lot, particularly in the subcontinent,” Nortje said after the second day’s play of the second Test against Pakistan. “Sometimes, when I go a bit wider, because there’s not a lot of bounce here, it’s an easy cut shot most of the time. In South Africa you’re trying to get into that channel. Here you’re trying to hit the stumps most of the time, and you also don’t want to be bowling on leg stump. It’s one thing I’ve focused on a lot.”Nortje has become known for consistently bowling in the upper 140s and for using the bouncer to good effect, but in this innings he also showed his ability not to veer wide outside off or down leg. It helped that he could operate in short spells – he bowled six in total of which only two consisted of five overs each – and could give each delivery his all.”We had a chat about the energy of the fast bowlers and trying to create something in our spells – to not bowl too long and when we do come on try and create something,” Nortje said. “That’s what happened in this game. We didn’t bowl long spells and we tried to dig it in as much as possible and hit the wicket as much as possible. That was the plan, to bowl short spells and try to have as much energy as you can.”That may make it sound like all was nothing but hard work, but Nortje confirmed there is some assistance for the seamers in Rawalpindi, and definitely more than there was in the first Test in Karachi. “With the hard ball there is some bounce,” he said. “I don’t think the fast bowlers will be completely out of it, I think there might be different opportunities and different ways of taking wickets like we saw the ball keeping low, so that might come into it.”Still, to prosper on the subcontinent for a South African quick is something special. For previous bowlers, like Dale Steyn, who took two of his first three five-fors in Sri Lanka and Pakistan respectively, it signalled a coming-of-age and an ability to adjust to unfamiliar terrain and still have a decisive say. “Getting a performance in the subcontinent definitely means a lot,” Nortje said. Hopefully I can just grow as a fast bowler.”At 27, Nortje is older than the then-24-year-old Steyn was when he took 5 for 56 to bowl South Africa to victory in Lahore in 2007, and he also occupies a more senior role in the transitioning Test side. After Kagiso Rabada, Nortje is the second-most capped Test bowler in the squad and he has become a go-to for Quinton de Kock when matters are meandering and he needs to make something happen.In Karachi, it didn’t work and Pakistan’s last four-wickets put on 202. In Rawalpindi, it did, and Nortje plucked the last two wickets in three balls to keep Pakistan to under 275, although the last five wickets added 123 between them. Does he think the South African attack lets tails, and the Pakistan one in particular, get too far ahead? “I don’t think it’s become a problem,” he said.”In the previous game they had a lot of partnerships. It’s not something we can really control. Our energy, line and lengths are the controllables and are doing our best when we do get a sniff to try and make an impact. We bowled well and even if we didn’t get the wickets, to control the rate was really good. We’ve restricted them to a good total. It’s manageable for us to exceed their score. By no means do I think they got too much.”

Liverpool manager Arne Slot is currently preparing for his first season in the dugout at Anfield as he attempts to follow on from the legendary Jurgen Klopp.

The former Feyenoord head coach will be tasked with competing for silverware and possibly the Premier League title in his first year at the club, which leaves little room for an adaptation period.

Supporters have been used to success in recent years, most recently winning the League Cup under Klopp earlier this year, and may not want a transitional season that sees them fall away from the likes of Manchester City and Arsenal.

The Reds are yet to make a signing during the summer transfer window to bolster Slot's squad, though, and their activity in the market could dictate how ambitious they can be with their aims for the 2024/25 campaign.

There is also the concern that some players could move on from Anfield before the window slams shut at the end of August, and that could cause further issues for the Dutch boss to contend with in his first few months in England.

European interest in Liverpool star

According to Sport BILD reporter Christian Falk, Real Madrid are interested in a swoop to sign Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold this summer.

The journalist claims that the Spanish giants are getting concrete about their interest in the England international, who recently returned from the European Championship as a losing finalist with his country.

He adds that the Reds academy graduate's current contract at Anfield is due to expire at the end of the 2024/25 campaign, and the defender is yet to put pen to paper on an extension.

This means that Liverpool will risk losing him for nothing next year if they do not agree a fresh contract with him before the end of the current window, as he could sign a pre-contract deal with a foreign team from January 2025 onwards.

Falk also reveals that Alexander-Arnold is interested in a transfer to the LaLiga champions, where he could link up with his England teammate Jude Bellingham, and could, therefore, be tempted to make the switch.

The reporter states that there has already been contact between the two parties but does not reveal how much Liverpool would demand from Real Madrid in order to allow the full-back to move on in the coming weeks.

This means that it remains to be seen how likely a transfer is for the English sensation this summer but the report does show that Alexander-Arnold is open to moving on and that should concern Slot and Reds fans, as his exit would be as sad as Klopp's.

Jurgen Klopp's tearful Liverpool goodbye

The German manager shocked the world when he suddenly announced that he would be leaving the club at the end of the season back in January.

Klopp revealed in his goodbye video that he was running out of energy and was not prepared to keep going, again and again, each year in all competitions, resulting in his need to take a break from the game.

The ex-Borussia Dortmund chief confirmed that he had already told the club his decision in November of last year, which gave them plenty of time to identify Slot as his successor.

It was an emotional time for Klopp, the club, and the supporters as it ended an almost-nine-year stay on Merseyside for the charming tactician.

Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool trophies

Season

Competition

2018/19

Champions League

2019/20

UEFA Super Cup

2019/20

Premier League

2019/20

Club World Cup

2021/22

FA Cup

2021/22

League Cup

2023/24

Community Shield

2023/24

League Cup

As you can see in the table above, the 57-year-old manager won eight trophies in less than nine years with the English giants, a thoroughly impressive haul.

He became the first coach in the club's history to win the Premier League title and secured Europe's premier cup competition by lifting the Champions League after a 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur in 2019.

Klopp also finished his Liverpool career with a trophy last season, beating Chelsea on penalties in the final of the League Cup at Wembley earlier this year.

His long and illustrious spell in the dugout at Anfield, coupled with the sudden timing of his announcement, made it a sad moment for supporters and the club when he decided to call time on his career with the Reds.

Now, Alexander-Arnold leaving in the same summer could be as sad as the manager's departure, due to his affinity with Liverpool and the quality that he provides on the pitch.

Why Trent joining Real Madrid would be as sad as Klopp's exit

Firstly, the 25-year-old star has spent his entire career with the club to date, including academy football, and is a local, Liverpool-born, talent.

Per Transfermarkt, Alexander-Arnold joined the academy in 2004 and this means that this year marks 20 years for the impressive right-back, across youth and senior level.

Since making his debut in the 2016/17 season under Klopp, the right-footed wizard has gone on to rack up 19 goals and 81 assists in 310 appearances for the club in all competitions.

He was a key player for the German head coach for the majority of his tenure at Anfield and, of course, played a big role in those aforementioned eight trophy successes in the last nine years or so.

This is the first reason why his exit would be as sad as Klopp's as the superb full-back has been an integral part of the team's success for many, many, years and is a local-born academy product who is synonymous with Liverpool.

23/24 Premier League

Trent Alexander-Arnold

Appearances

28

Goals

3

Assists

4

Big chances created

17

Key passes per game

2.3

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Alexander-Arnold is also a key player to the club in the here and now after another fantastically creative season for the Reds in the Premier League.

The 25-year-old ace, who Klopp described as a "world-class" footballer, was let down by his teammates in the final third in the top-flight last term as they only scored four goals from the 17 'big chances' that he created.

These statistics show that the defender is a huge creative threat for Liverpool and losing him would be a huge blow for Slot, due to the quality that would be lost, and that is another reason why his exit would be as sad as Klopp's – as supporters would be seeing own of their own and a world-class talent move on.

Related Liverpool make move to sign "complete" £50m Thiago successor

FSG are interested in completing Arne Slot’s midfield with this terrific signing.

Posts 1 ByAngus Sinclair Jul 17, 2024

Antonio Rudiger leapt into a wild tackle on Kylian Mbappe in training but was left flat on his back by the Real Madrid superstar.

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Real Madrid preparing for Champions League tieMbappe produces amazing dribbleEvades wild challenge from RudigerFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Madrid are currently preparing for a Champions League tie with AC Milan and will be aiming to bounce back from a disappointing Clasico defeat to Barcelona last time out. There have certainly been no holds barred on the training ground, with Rudiger having been spotted flying into a challenge on Mbappe, only to find himself left flat on his back by the French star's amazing dribble.

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Mbappe may just feel he has a point to prove when he returns to action after coming in for criticism following a dismal performance in El Clasico. The result has left Barcelona six points clear of their bitter rivals in the league table, while Mbappe matching a 15-year-old record by being caught offside on eight occasions. Mbappe was expected to take La Liga by storm after arriving from Paris Saint-Germain but is yet to find his best form and appears instead to have upset the balance in Carlo Ancelotti's team.

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Madrid will need to improve at both ends of the pitch if they are to see off Milan on Tuesday. Ancelotti's side should be well-rested for the game though, as Saturday's La Liga fixture against Valencia has been postponed after the flash foods in the region.

Tottenham are now tempted to bid for a £28 million forward who Harry Kane said "trains hard" behind-the-scenes, as manager Ange Postecoglou and co look to add more firepower.

Spurs looking to sign a new striker this summer

The transfer window is now officially open, and one of Spurs' key goals over the next few months is bringing in a prolific new striker who can take Kane's mantle.

Tottenham could now offer Gil in swap move for prolific £17 million striker

This is an “attractive” proposal.

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Emilio Galantini

Jun 12, 2024

The north Londoners coped well in Postecoglou's debut season without Kane. The majority of their goals came from Son Heung-min, who was deployed both as a central striker and wide player over the 2023/2024 season, and Brazil international Richarlison.

The attacking duo racked up 29 goals between them in all competitions last term, replicating the kind of return which is standard for Kane, but it is believed that Postecoglou doesn't wish to rely on Richarlison and Son for Tottenham's output again next season.

Tottenham's top scorers in all competitions (via BBC Sport)	Goals
Son Heung-min	17
Richarlison	12
Dejan Kulusevski	8
Brennan Johnson	5
Cristian Romero	5

Spurs are apparently open to offers for Richarlison, with the ex-Everton star attracting interest in Saudi Arabia, while Son is on the wrong side of 30 and has entered the final 12 months of his contract at N17.

Tottenham are believed to have been targeting a host of forward options in the last fortnight alone. Sevilla star Youssef En-Nesyri is apparently on Spurs' radar, coming after he scored 20 goals in all competitions for the La Liga side last campaign.

Meanwhile, closer to home, the likes of Brentford striker Ivan Toney have been linked as well. Football Transfers claimed last week that Spurs are prepared to bid £40 million for Toney, and are also readying a personal terms package for the Englishman.

Tottenham now tempted to bid for Tammy Abraham

It is still very early days in the window, though, so the Lilywhites will be doing their due-diligence on a number of targets.

One name to have emerged on their shortlist, according to The Boot Room, is former Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham. The Roma forward could depart for just under £30 million, as the Serie A side set a £28 million price tag.

Lorenzo Pellegrini has called him "vital" for the group at Roma, and he scored 17 goals in all competitions during his best season there in 21/22. Tottenham are apparently tempted to bid for Toney after hearing he's valued at £28m, with Kane also being a huge fan of the 26-year-old.

“I think that Tammy is a great player,” said Kane on Abraham's quality in 2022. “He’s had a fantastic season at club level, he’s still learning and has experience to gain but every time he comes here he works hard and trains hard.

“He wants to impress the manager, he wants to score goals and of course it’s great to have competition in every position and in the Premier League we have some great English strikers who are scoring goals on a regular basis.

“Tammy is doing that for Roma as well so he’s a great player and I’m sure he’ll want to keep improving, keep working hard and that’s what he’ll try and do in this camp and going back to club level as well.”

Looking to make a return to Champions League qualification, one BBC pundit has reportedly heard that Tottenham Hotspur could yet hijack Manchester United's move to seal one of the deals of the summer in the Premier League.

Tottenham transfer news

The Lilywhites have already re-signed Timo Werner on loan ahead of a vital second season under Ange Postecoglou, who will be well aware of the improvements needed to his current squad. The Spurs boss saw a lack of depth eventually catch up to his side in a dismal end to the season, which resulted in the wheels falling off the North London side's top-four push.

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The Romanian only signed in January.

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Whilst an official new arrival after Werner is yet to appear, the headlines have been making for positive reading. Spurs have already been linked with the likes of Jonathan David and Euro 2024 star Riccardo Calafiori. The latter is a particularly popular name this summer, having also reportedly attracted interest from Liverpool, Manchester United and others. But he's not the only defender seemingly on the Spurs radar.

According to the BBC's Alan Hutton, speaking to Football Insider, Spurs could hijack Manchester United's move to sign Jarrad Branthwaite this summer. The Red Devils have already opened negotiations with Everton over their star, seeing a reported £43m bid knocked down with the Toffees holding out for their £80m price tag. Hutton has "heard" the Lilywhites could yet swoop in, however.

He told Football Insider: "I feel at times [Tottenham] have been light in that sense, actually across the back four. When you look at their starting back line, if any of them get injured or go missing for a good length of time, the players that come in aren’t quite up to the standard. To have someone in the door with that potential who could be a regular starter for England moving forward, that could be a great deal.

"He did really well last season, and there are talks [Cristian] Romero could be on the move, so there’s a few things in the pipeline that might lead towards them going for someone like [Branthwaite], and him filling that void at centre-half. I have heard there could be a hijack there, from people I speak to at the club.”

Branthwaite move would take Spurs up a level

If Spurs are looking to bridge the remaining gap on the Premier League's top four and potentially more under Postecoglou, then they're certainly looking in the right direction towards Branthwaite. The Everton star, still just 21 years old, may have another level to reach but even this current version of him would star alongside Romero in North London.

Premier League stats (via FBref)

Jarrad Branthwaite

Cristian Romero

Blocks

51

46

Interceptions

50

44

Tackles Won

32

40

Ball Recoveries

181

189

Question marks would come over where Branthwaite's arrival would leave Micky van de Ven, but that's the type of competition for places that should ultimately push a side on, with both players reaching new levels in an attempt to win their place under Postecoglou.