All posts by h716a5.icu

Stephen Eskinazi’s 65* gives his side a chance but hosts win thriller in Bristol with one ball to spare

ECB Reporters Network03-Jul-2022Glenn Phillips went out on a high, scoring a brilliant 52 from 39 balls as Gloucestershire successfully chased a victory target of 164 with one ball to spare to defeat Middlesex by five wickets in a dramatic finish to their final Vitality Blast match of the season at the Seat Unique Stadium in Bristol.Overseas star Phillips and Jack Taylor added 81 for the fifth wicket in nine overs as the home side recovered from 73 for 4 in the 11th over to set-up a grandstand finish. And Benny Howell finished things off in fine style, hitting Tom Helm for six off the penultimate ball to snatch a victory that sees Gloucestershire finish fifth in the South Group.Middlesex earlier won the toss and raised 163 for 4, Matt Holden contributing a quickfire 37 and Stephen Eskinazi posting a useful 65 not out. But Howell and Tom Smith returned tidy figures to keep the visitors within sight, both taking a wicket and conceding just 45 runs in eight overs between them.Holden provided Middlesex with a turbo-charged start to their innings, crashing 37 from 19 balls and dominating an opening stand of 57 in 4.3 overs with Eskinazi. The left-hander combined clean hitting with clever improvisation to accrue half a dozen fours and a six, taking advantage of some loose bowling to help the visitors raise 50 from 23 balls.Gloucestershire held their nerve, weathered the early storm and breathed a collective sigh of relief when Holden miss-timed a drive off Phillips and holed out to Tom Price at long-off. Smith had Joe Cracknell held at backward square leg on his way to figures of 1 for 22 from four overs, while Howell bowled John Simpson to reduce Middlesex to 74 for 3 in the ninth, at which point three wickets had fallen for the addition of 18 runs in four overs.Playing a captain’s innings, Eskinazi set his sights on carrying his bat, sharing a stand of 64 in 8.5 overs with Josh De Caires to repair the damage and at least ensure Middlesex posted a competitive total. It may not have been spectacular fare – his 50 occupied 46 balls – but his innings exerted a steadying influence upon a team that has struggled to find a winning formula in the short format this summer.Attempting to force the issue in the closing overs, De Caires skied Jack Taylor to Howell at short extra cover for 24 as Gloucestershire’s bowlers kept a lid on things, Howell returning impressive figures of 1 for 23 from four overs. Eskinazi finished unbeaten on 65 from 55 balls, managing just two fours and two of sixes in a pragmatic knock which proved effective rather than memorable.Gloucestershire’s reply made a stuttering start, openers George Scott and Chris Dent departing cheaply in a six-over powerplay that saw the hosts limp to 38 for 2 in the face of nagging accuracy from Max Harris and Tom Helm. Harris then accounted for James Bracey, the Bristolian holing out to deep mid-wicket in pursuit of a second successive maximum as the hosts slipped to 52 for 3 in the eighth over.Phillips and Miles Hammond advanced the score to 72 for 3 at halfway, at which point Gloucestershire required a further 92 runs to win at 9.2 an over. Under pressure to accelerate, Hammond promptly pulled Thilan Walallawita to deep mid-wicket as Middlesex further turned the screw. Chris Green, Luke Hollman and Walallawita took the pace off to good effect during the middle part of the innings as the required rate climbed to above ten an over for the first time.In his last appearance for Gloucestershire before teaming up with the New Zealand tourists, Phillips responded by driving Walallawita for six over long-on and then plundering another leg-side maximum off Jason Behrendorff, while Taylor played second fiddle and rotated the strike expertly to keep the home side in the hunt.With 31 needed off three overs and the fifth wicket pair well-established, Gloucestershire must have fancied their chances of completing the job. Pacing his innings to perfection, Phillips smashed Helm back over his head for a straight six as the target came down to 21 off two overs.Phillips went to 50 via 37 balls, but Green conceded just eight runs off the penultimate over, leaving Gloucestershire to score 13 off the last to win. Helm responded magnificently under pressure, having Phillips caught at deep mid-wicket to put the outcome in doubt. But Howell remained cool, crashing the penultimate delivery for an almighty six over long-on to win the day.

Making it to the semi-finals and keeping hopes of Champions League qualification alive matters much more than three Premier League points

Rory McIlroy wasn't the only Irishman you couldn't take your eyes off on Sunday. Just before McIlroy's enthralling victory in the Masters, Roy Keane gave his own tour de force as he laid into Manchester United after their 4-1 thrashing by Newcastle. The former Red Devils captain is appointment viewing whenever United lose, which is a regular occurrence these days, and he had plenty of attack lines after watching their second-half capitulation on Tyneside.

As the skipper during one of United's greatest eras, Keane is better placed than anyone to assess what has gone wrong at Old Trafford in the last decade or so, and many fans would have been nodding along as he tore into Altay Bayindir, declared that Ruben Amorim's side were "weak mentally and physically", decried their lack of goal threat and claimed that he could not see any signs of progress.

But there was one area in which he was wide of the mark: that was when he showed no sympathy with the fact that United had one eye on their Europa League quarter-final second leg with Lyon on Thursday.

There was no question that the Red Devils were more focused on the European tie, which is finely balanced after the dramatic 2-2 draw in France last week. And who can blame them for caring more about making it through to the semi-finals of Europe's secondary competition than the three points on offer at St James' Park?

Getty Picking and choosing games

Well, Keane certainly did blame them. He thought United were showing disrespect to the Premier League and he believes they should be able to beat Lyon without much fuss.

"Not good enough, the second half… That was 14 league games they've lost now and we keep making excuses for this team. There's not enough players who can run in the team and I don't think there are players who want to run," Keane said on

"Let’s hope they win on Thursday by the way – that’s all they are talking about. Lyon are sixth in the French league, I fully expect United to beat Lyon. Do they pick and choose their games? Your mindset playing for Man United should be every game is a big game and you go and give your all. You don't want to be a cup team, you want to turn up week in, week out and compete for the biggest prizes. All we heard before the game was about next Thursday. What about today's match? Does that mean anything to anybody?"

AdvertisementgettyOn a knife-edge

It is understandable why Keane was so upset watching United approach the game with such trepidation. In Keane's day, Newcastle and United battled each other for two Premier League titles and met each other in an FA Cup final, in which Keane was forced off injured after only a few minutes. It was one of the biggest fixtures of the season when he was a player, so it is little wonder that he was so incensed to see United not make it their priority to beat the Magpies.

But the United of 2025 are unrecognisable from the team Keane played in. Whereas his side could compete on many fronts without Sir Alex Ferguson making too many changes, Amorim has only one competition left to fight for, and the tie is on a knife-edge after Andre Onana's errors in the first leg. He therefore cannot afford to jeopardise United's Europa League campaign by caring too much about how many points his side accrue between now and the end of May.

United's Premier League season is already a catastrophe and a strong finish will not change that. Yes, defeat at Newcastle ensured they will end the season with their lowest amount of points in the Premier League era. But even before Sunday, winning all their remaining games – an unlikely outcome – would only have taken them on to 61 points, which would have offered little comfort to fans who have suffered through this nightmarish campaign.

Getty Images SportSeason at stake

Winning the Europa League, however, would make a huge difference. Even though Amorim will go down as the coach who presided over the club's lowest Premier League points total (albeit sharing the honour with Erik ten Hag, who was sacked in October) and could also lead them to their lowest finish, going down as only the fourth United manager to win a European trophy (after Sir Matt Busby, Ferguson and Jose Mourinho) would more than make up for it.

Even making it to the final would give fans a day to enjoy in Bilbao as compensation for a season with very few bright spots. Winning the competition would bring them a first European title in eight years, but more importantly it would earn them a ticket back into the Champions League despite a woeful domestic campaign, just like in 2017 when they made amends for finishing sixth under Mourinho by making it to the final in Stockholm and beating Ajax 2-0.

That victory spared United from missing out on Champions League football for a second consecutive season and winning the trophy again is the only way for them to avoid missing out on Europe's top competition for back-to-back years for the first time since it was set up. It is also their only chance of securing European football at all, as they are out of the FA Cup, were knocked out of the Carabao Cup in December and have practically no chance of even getting into the Conference League by virtue of their league finish.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty€123m up for grabs

As well as the pride and glory that comes with winning the Europa League and returning to the Champions League, there is plenty of money on offer. Reaching the semi-finals alone is worth an additional €2.8 million (£2.4m/$3.2m) to United. Making the final and losing would net the club €4.6m, while lifting the trophy in Bilbao would earn them €8.6m. So winning the Europa League is worth €11.4m, almost the same amount as the club is set to pocket for its controversial post-season tour of Asia.

And then there's the lucrative Champions League revenue, a total pot of €2.4 billion. They would earn €18.6m for entering the League Phase, where they would play eight matches and have the chance to pocket €2.1m for each win and €900,000 for each draw. Making it to the last 16, a realistic objective, would see United rake in €11m. So winning the Europa League and making it to the last 16 of next season's Champions League is worth up to €57.8m in performance related revenue, plus extra windfalls via the value pillar (the value of television markets, calculated at approximately €40m) and increased matchday income – worth approximately €23m – from having at least five extra home games.

Effectively, winning the Europa League could be a stepping stone to earning more than €120m (£103m/$136m) a hugely significant amount of money for a club in dire financial straits and close to breaking the Premier League's Profitability and Sustainability Rules. United would also be able to attract a higher calibre of player in the summer transfer window as every player aspires to play in the Champions League, meaning winning the Europa League could hold the key to beating Chelsea to Liam Delap or convincing Matheus Cunha to move to Old Trafford instead of Anfield or the Emirates Stadium.

Liverpool have now identified a midfielder who ticks all the boxes for Arne Slot, according to a report.

Slot keen on a midfielder

The Reds missed out on Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi back in the summer, with the midfielder opting to stay with his boyhood club, but it hasn’t hampered them in their quest to win the Premier League title.

With Arsenal surrendering a two-goal lead to draw with Aston Villa on Saturday evening, Slot’s side are now six points clear at the top of the table, having also played one fewer game than the Gunners.

Ryan Gravenberch has perhaps surpassed expectations by stepping up to the plate and becoming a key player this season, but Slot still remains interested in bringing in another defensive midfielder.

Liverpool now seriously interested in "incredible" £60m Premier League star

Arne Slot is looking at options to strengthen his attack.

ByDominic Lund Jan 19, 2025

One of the players who is now rising up the shortlist is VfB Stuttgart’s Angelo Stiller, with the same report also mentioning the likes of Bayern Munich’s Joshua Kimmich and Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Joao Gomes as potential targets.

And according to a report from Football Insider, Liverpool now view Gomes as the perfect signing to strengthen their midfield, as his style of play fits the exact profile they have been searching for.

Any deal will likely have to wait until the end of the campaign, as Wolves view the central midfielder as a key player in their fight against relegation from the Premier League.

However, the Old Gold’s financial issues mean the door could be open for a deal at the end of the season, as they may be forced to make a sale to comply with financial rules.

Manchester United are also interested in signing the £30k-per-week Brazilian, and other unnamed clubs are said to be queueing up for his signature, so the Reds may have to fend off a lot of competition from elsewhere.

Gomes excelling defensively for Wolves

Slot is eager to add another defensive midfielder to his squad, and the Wolves star excels in his duties at the back, ranking in the 99th percentile for tackles completed per 90 over the past year when compared to his positional peers, as per FBref.

Freelance scout Ben Mattinson has provided an overview of the type of player the Brazil international is, and seemed to suggest that he is a well-rounded midfielder, hailing him as a “box-crasher”.

The 23-year-old now has a lot of Premier League experience under his belt, making 65 top-flight appearances for Wolves, and he is at a good age to develop further at Anfield.

If Wolves are forced to cash in on Gomes this summer, Liverpool should make sure they are right at the front of the queue.

Legspinner hasn’t taken over Test cricket by storm but is waiting in the wings trying to do his best for Queensland and Brisbane Heat

Andrew McGlashan22-Aug-2022Mitchell Swepson knows he will probably have to bide his time over the next few months for another chance at Test cricket, but admitted he has long had “one eye” on Australia’s tour to India in early 2023.Swepson, who had served a long period as a Covid-19 reserve and drinks carrier, played four of the five away Tests against Pakistan and Sri Lanka earlier this year. He was handed his debut in the 2nd Test against Pakistan in Karachi, after Australia had gone with three frontline quicks in the opening match.Related

Glenn Maxwell still hungry to succeed in Test cricket

Progress made, but subcontinent cracks still present for Australia

Adaptable Australia make further strides on subcontinent mission

An end result of ten wickets at 45.80 does not leap off the page as an overriding success, but there were enough signs that Swepson has the chance to forge more than a fleeting Test career – although conditions in Australia won’t aid him in adding to his tally on home soil.Nathan Lyon, who partnered Swepson in those four matches, is currently on a run of 88 unbroken Tests and Australia are unlikely to field two frontline spinners in a home game despite the annual tradition of it being debated when the Sydney Test rolls around in January.”I’ve had one eye on it [the India tour] for a while, so I’d be lying if I told you I didn’t,” Swepson told ESPNcricinfo at the launch of the BBL draft. “It’s certainly a massive tour for Australian cricket. India in India is the final frontier as some people would say, so it will be massive series and the way the World Test Championship is, just adds that extra element.”But in saying that there’s also a massive summer here to go first and the boys have got to do well there. I’ll be ready to go [for the home series] if required, but chances are probably pretty slim, so I’ll just be waiting in the wings and trying to do my best for Queensland and Brisbane Heat.”Mitchell Swepson is likely to be Brisbane Heat’s premier spinner in the upcoming BBL•Getty Images and Cricket AustraliaSwepson is unlikely to be part of the squad for the T20 World Cup in October and November – he was part of the 15 for the previous event in the UAE, but Australian conditions won’t demand another frontliner alongside Adam Zampa and Ashton Agar – which should mean a clear run of Sheffield Shield cricket ahead of the BBL season. However, there won’t be a chance to return to red-ball cricket before the India tour with that trip due to start in early February but he should, at least, be playing cricket rather than sitting and watching.Depending on who Heat sign in the BBL draft – they have a retention option for Afghanistan’s Mujeeb Ur Rahman – Swepson could be their premier spinner and create a pairing with Matt Kuhnemann who made his ODI debut in Sri Lanka having only played five games last season.”I can’t wait for just a full season of cricket,” he said. “It’s been great to be able to travel around with the Australian team, but now getting back to normal, being able to fly in and out, I’m really looking forward to getting back to playing for my state and Brisbane as well.”Reflecting on his experiences of the last few months, Swepson spoke of his partnership with Lyon as one of the highlights, the duo firstly trying to combat the docile surfaces in Pakistan, then offered a raging turner in the first Test in Galle before something more even in the second Test, where Sri Lanka came out on top to level the series.”I might be a bit biased here, but I love seeing offspin and legspin work in tandem,” he said. “I think it’s really cool and you don’t really see it much, especially not in Test cricket. So I really loved bowling with Gaz, he’s a great fella, he’s done so much for the game in Australia, so to be able to learn off him and see how he goes about it, bounce ideas off him, it’s made me a better bowler, and hopefully, I can get the chance to do it a lot more often.”I’d dreamed as a youngster about playing Test cricket for Australia and getting a baggy green, and now that’s happened it’s been awesome to look back on, share it with my friends and family. But it’s also meant I’ve bowled some overs in a period of the season where I usually wouldn’t so that Sri Lanka tour was really good for me to bowl a lot of balls and work on some things. Now I’ve had some time at home and I’m ready to just hit the ground running, and I’m just really excited to just get a full season in.”

Allrounder said he would honour overseas league commitments, made after missing out on the original contracts’ list

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Sep-2022Jimmy Neesham has declined a New Zealand central contract, while Blair Tickner and Finn Allen have been handed their first deals.Neesham was offered one of the two vacant spots in the list after the departure of Trent Boult and Colin de Grandhomme, but turned it down having already committed to various T20 tournaments since his omission from the original list.”I know the news of my decision to decline a central contract today will be seen as me choosing money over representing my country,” Neesham posted on an Instagram story. “I had planned to accept a contract offer in July, however since being left off the list I have committed to other leagues around the world. It was a difficult decision but I have decided to honour those commitments rather than go back on my word to re-sign with NZ Cricket.”Playing for the [Blackcaps] has been the greatest honour of my career and I remain committed to taking the field with my countrymen for the foreseeable future, especially in pinnacle world events.”Related

Williamson: Guptill will be missed but he has not retired

Stead throws his weight behind misfiring Williamson

Australia in pole position to make WTC final

Neesham has his name in for the SA20 league, which has its auction on September 19.Tickner, the fast bowler, and opening batter Allen have filled the two vacant spots. Boult stepped away from his contract earlier this year to allow him more time with family and the ability to play T20 leagues around the world, while de Grandhomme retired from international cricket shortly after being picked in the BBL draft by Adelaide Strikers.The new inclusions have featured in New Zealand’s limited-overs sides in recent months. Allen is a highly regarded talent who can expect to be included for the upcoming T20 World Cup. He has already made 334 runs at a strike rate of 169.54 in 13 T20I innings. He has also played eight ODIs, making a vital 96 on the tour of the West Indies last month and impressing when he came back into the team for the final match against Australia in Cairns.”Finn clearly has huge talent and potential,” New Zealand head coach Gary Stead said. “He’s shown he’s up to the international level in his limited opportunities to date. In particular, his match-winning 96 against West Indies on a difficult wicket in Barbados showed his class and maturity.”Tickner has played six ODIs and 11 T20Is, most recently against Netherlands, and was part of the initial touring squad for the Test series in England earlier this year.”Blair’s been in Blackcaps squads for all three formats over the past 12 months which is testament to his progress,” Stead said. “He’s a bowler who just keeps improving and we’ve been particularly impressed with his red-ball development, which saw him in the recent squads for the England and South Africa Tests. He knows the environment, understands his role, and bowls with good pace and aggression.”New Zealand will name their T20 World Cup squad on September 20. They will prepare for the tournament with a tri-series in Christchurch featuring Pakistan and Bangladesh from October 7 to 14. Their first match of the T20 World Cup is against hosts Australia at the SCG on October 22.

Injuries have decimated Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham Hotspur squad throughout 2024/25, handing the Aussie a near-impossible task of achieving anything this campaign.

He’s often had to play talents in positions they’re unfamiliar with, resulting in numerous makeshift positions, including the backline, with usual centre-backs Mickey van de Ven and Cristian Romero both missing for large periods.

However, with just a couple of days remaining in the window, goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky remains the only new senior addition, leaving Postecoglou with work still to be done if the current situation is to be resolved.

As a result of their crisis, the Lilywhites currently sit in the bottom half of the Premier League table, looking over their shoulder rather than upwards in an attempt to pull clear of any looming trouble.

With just 15 games to go, it’s safe to say that the league season has been a right off, potentially looking ahead to next year, with the addition of one player aiding their cause to ensure such a situation doesn’t rear its head once more.

Spurs' search for a forward

According to journalist Florian Plettenberg, Spurs have held concrete talks with striker Stefanos Tzimas over a move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium ahead of the 2025/26 season.

The 19-year-old has spent the ongoing campaign on loan at Bundesliga 2 side FC Nurnberg, impressing in front of goal, scoring ten times in 17 matches across all competitions.

The German side are expected to trigger his buy option from PAOK, before selling him in the same window, with Postecoglou’s side battling with Brighton and Aston Villa for the services of the €25m (£20m) talent.

Plettenberg confirmed that Fabian Hurzeler and co are currently leading the race for his signature, but that Spurs are engaged in negotiations over a move for the Greek star.

It would be a superb deal for such a promising talent, with the fee they would fork out potentially much cheaper than that of another player who appears to edging closer to a move to North London this month.

Why Tzimas could be even better than Tel for Spurs

In recent days, Spurs had seemingly moved even closer to landing another talent to join the first-team squad in the form of Bayern Munich youngster Mathys Tel.

It was confirmed that the Lilywhites had held talks with his representatives and were open to paying the demanded €60m (£50m) fee for the Bundesliga side to part ways with the talented Frenchman.

Any deal for Tel would have been a big statement from Daniel Levy, especially considering the competition from other English sides such as Chelsea and bitter North London rivals Arsenal.

However, the teenager is said to have rejected the chance to move to N17, putting the club back to square one. Regardless, perhaps the Lilywhites would have been better off waiting for a move to sign wonderkid Tzimas anyway, with the Greek international producing numerous figures better than the Bayern talent throughout 2024/25.

Games played

16

8

Goals & assists

11

1

Shots on target

2.5

11

Shot-on-target accuracy

66%

30%

Aerials won

0.6

0.3

Goal per shot-on-target

0.3

0

Chances created

0.9

0.4

Tzimas, who’s been dubbed “one of the biggest talents” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has massively outscored the Frenchman, whilst also registering more shots on target per 90, showcasing his added clinical edge in the final third.

He’s also won more aerials per 90 whilst also creating more chances for his teammates, subsequently able to provide other attackers with opportunities to improve their own goalscoring tallies, making him an all-round option for Postecoglou’s side.

Given the contrasting goalscoring tallies and all-round attributes, the current Nurnberg loanee would be a better option than Tel for Spurs in the coming months, handing them the added threat which has been greatly desired.

The huge difference in fee would also prove a real bonus, with a move for Tzimas allowing for added investment across other areas of the pitch as a result.

Their own Watkins: Spurs make contact for one of "the best CFs in the PL"

The clinical forward would be a brilliant signing for Spurs.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jan 31, 2025

The former USMNT star praised Christian Pulisic's impact at AC Milan, highlighting his crucial role despite team's struggles

Pulisic emerges as AC Milan's most valuable playerAmerican star's productivity deemed a "steal" for the RossoneriConsistent performances across three different coachesGetty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED

Christian Pulisic has established himself as AC Milan's standout performer since joining the club, with his contributions proving invaluable across multiple managerial tenures. The forward has contributed to 26 goals across all competitions this term, a tally that includes 19 goals in Serie A.

That prompted ESPN FC analyst Herculez Gomez to label him as the team's most valuable player.

“He has been since he signed,” Gomez said on Futbol Americas when asked if Pulisic is AC Milan’s MVP. “$20 million is an absolute steal for a player like Christian Pulisic and for that productivity. I can think of maybe one player that comes close to goal involvements, assists and goals, over the course of the last two seasons and that’s Lautaro Martinez. He’s the only player that I know for a fact that he has more goal involvements than Christian Pulisic.

"Other than that you’re gonna have to do some real research to find a player as productive as Pulisic. He is the face of Milan right now. Christian Pulisic has also been their (Milan’s) most consistent player and he’s been the guy that you can count on in any competition. Whatever the case has been, he’s been that productive player.”

AdvertisementWHAT HERCULEZ GOMEZ SAID

Gomez also added that Pulisic’s performances have come with the challenge of playing under three different coaches.

“It’s not that he’s only been good with one coach," he said. "He was good with Stefano Pioli, he was good with Paulo Fonseca and he’s been good now with Sergio Conceicao. Different setups, different coaches asking different things of him and he’s been the most consistent player to date. For a US men’s national team fan this must be a thrilling time to be invested in Serie A, to be invested in Pulisic.

"And the unfortunate thing, it’s this AC Milan team. It’s this version of this giant that are teetering ninth or tenth for most of the season. And it’s not been a fun watch for most fans whether you’re Milan or national team if it’s not just to solely focus on Pulisic and his productivity.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Christian Pulisic has been a standout star for AC Milan since he signed for the club in the summer of 2023 from Chelsea. The 26-year-old has contributed to 52 goals in 92 appearances for the Serie A giants.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images SportWHAT’S NEXT?

Following their commanding victory over Udinese, AC Milan sit in ninth place on the Serie A table with 51 points after 32 league games played. They sit six points behind fifth place Bologna and eight points behind fourth place Juventus in the race for a place in Europe.

The Rossoneri face Atlanta BC next on April 20 at the San Siro and the play cross-city rivals Internazionale in the second leg of their Coppa Italia semifinal, going into the clash 1-1 on aggregate.

Everton’s hopes of ending their 30-year trophy drought will continue for another year. David Moyes’ side suffered a 2-0 defeat to Bournemouth in the FA Cup this afternoon, and all focus will now divert to retaining their Premier League status.

The Toffees entered the match having suffered just one defeat under Moyes, while the Cherries had defeated Nottingham Forest and Newcastle United in recent weeks.

The away side opened the scoring courtesy of an Antoine Semenyo penalty after 23 minutes before Daniel Jebbison got the crucial second just before the interval.

The second half saw no more goals as the south coast side progressed into the next round. A handful of Everton players performed well, but overall, it was a poor performance in what turned out to be the final FA Cup tie at Goodison Park.

Everton’s best and worst players against Bournemouth

Iliman Ndiaye has so often been the club’s talisman of late, and his performance wasn’t bad. He succeeded with 89% of his passes while making one key pass and succeeding with six of his eight dribbles, looking to make things happen.

At the back, Jarrad Branthwaite won six of his nine ground duels while making four tackles and five clearances, but he couldn’t prevent the Toffees from losing.

Stat

Highest-ranked player(s)

Accurate passes

James Tarkowski (55)

Tackles

Jake O’Brien (5)

Shots on target

Antoine Semenyo, Justin Kluivert, Daniel Jebbison (2)

Ground duels won

Iliman Ndiaye (11)

Key passes

Daniel Jebbison (3)

Via Sofascore

Elsewhere, James Garner was poor, winning just two of his nine ground duels while losing possession 15 times. However, he was nowhere near as bad as Beto, as the striker had a shocker for the Toffees.

Beto's game in numbers vs Bournemouth

With Dominic Calvert-Lewin out injured for a few weeks, Beto was Moyes’ only option to lead the line against the Cherries. He scored against Peterborough in the previous round, while netting twice against Leicester City in the top flight last week.

The 27-year-old failed to get on the scoresheet this time around, looking like a forlorn figure up front for the Merseyside outfit.

He completed just 5 of his 11 passes – at a dismal 45% success rate – while managing just 22 touches of the ball throughout the 90 minutes – 27 fewer touches than Jordan Pickford in the Everton goal.

The centre-forward looked increasingly isolated during the encounter, failing to even register a shot on goal or create a big chance for any of his teammates.

Furthermore, Beto won just 5 of the 12 duels he contested, lost possession 15 times and was offside once in what was a disappointing showing.

Moyes will have to return to the drawing board ahead of the club’s clash against Liverpool in midweek.

Calvert-Lewin will still be missing, and if Beto performs against the Reds in a similar fashion to Saturday afternoon, Everton’s goal threat will have to come from elsewhere.

A big performance will be required if Moyes aims to get anything from that match, in what is his first Merseyside derby since returning to Everton.

Everton chiefs love the idea of making £90k-a-week ace their record signing

This could go down very well with Blues supporters.

ByHenry Jackson Feb 8, 2025

Matheesha Pathirana and Niroshan Dickwella also called up to Australia as standbys for the injury-ridden squad

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Oct-2022Sri Lanka have replaced the injured Binura Fernando with Asitha Fernando in their Men’s T20 World Cup squad.* Fellow fast bowler Matheesha Pathirana and wicketkeeper-batter Niroshan Dickwella have also been called up as back-up players following a series of injuries in their squad.Tim McCaskill, head of Sri Lanka Cricket’s high-performance centre, will also travel to Australia with the players.Related

Fatigued Sri Lanka look to dig deep against well-drilled New Zealand

Injured Dilshan Madushanka out of T20 World Cup

Sri Lanka call up Rajitha and Bandara to replace injured Chameera and Gunathilaka

Silverwood keeps the faith despite Sri Lanka's latest injury

The decision to draft Asitha in comes after left-arm seamer Binura, who himself came into the squad as a replacement for Dilshan Madushanka, suffered a hamstring injury during Sri Lanka’s loss against Australia. He could only bowl five deliveries in the match before pulling up.Binura is just the latest Sri Lanka pacer to suffer an injury leading up to and during the T20 World Cup. They had lost left-arm quick Madushanka to a quad injury before the tournament. Their pace spearhead Dushmantha Chameera was then ruled out of the competition after suffering a grade-two tear in the calf of his left foot during the group stage match against UAE on October 18.Seamer Pramod Madushan also suffered an injury and hasn’t played since the match against UAE although he hasn’t been officially ruled out yet.In the batting department, they suffered a blow in the form of a hamstring injury to Danushka Gunathilaka during the group stage. Ashen Bandara was called up as Gunathilaka’s replacement, and he had to step in and play in Sri Lanka’s first Super 12 match against Ireland in place of Pathum Nissanka, who was rested due to groin injury.Sri Lanka have so far beaten Ireland and lost to Australia in the Super 12s stage. Their next match is against New Zealand on Saturday at the SCG.*

Barcelona have released stunning new images of their €1.5 billion Camp Nou redevelopment project, amid hopes of returning home in 2026.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Catalan giants had hoped to be home by nowReduced capacity possible early in 2025-26Still work to be done on stands & roof structureFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The initial plan was for La Blaugrana to be back in familiar surroundings by now, but completion dates in Catalunya have been revised on a regular basis. That means Hansi Flick’s side continue to turn out at the iconic 1992 Olympic Stadium.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Work at Camp Nou began in the summer of 2023, with the capacity of that venue being raised to 105,000. It is still yet to welcome any spectators through the doors, with a lot of work yet to be completed.

DID YOU KNOW?

Positive progress is, however, being made. There are now suggestions that Barca could play home games at Camp Nou from September 2025, albeit with a reduced capacity in place. The entire project could be signed off in early 2026.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

TELL ME MORE

Barcelona have revealed that the grass on their new pitch is nearly fully laid. More seats are now in place, as the famous stadium is brought back to life, but the installation of an eye-catching roof is yet to begin – and it is that which will further delay a return to a completed structure.