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Champions Chelsea and runners-up Manchester City dominate our standings, but others at lesser-heralded clubs also impressed

And so another Women's Super League campaign has come to a close, with Chelsea one again reigning supreme to claim a fifth-successive league title. Manchester City did brilliantly to push the Blues to the final day, though a dramatic defeat to Arsenal on the penultimate weekend of the season cost them in the end.

There were storylines elsewhere, though, particularly with Liverpool pipping Manchester United, who won the FA Cup this year and challenged for the WSL title last term, to fourth spot. It was a brilliant campaign for the Reds, who only returned to the top flight last season.

A couple of other teams outside the top three could lay claim to being home to one of the division's best players this past season too, with there some brilliant, if underrated, performers across the whole league. Here are GOAL's WSL Player of the Year rankings…

Getty Images15Hannah Hampton (Chelsea)

That Hannah Hampton only assumed control of goalkeeping duties at Chelsea in mid-December but still makes this list is telling of the high level she performed at from that point. The England international had to wait for that club debut after joining from Aston Villa in the summer, but as the old saying goes, patience is a virtue, and she reaped the rewards.

No one kept more clean sheets than Hampton after her debut, a feat made all the more impressive by the ever-changing cast in Chelsea's defence due to injuries. Of goalkeepers who made more than five appearances in that time, Man City's Khiara Keating was the only one to boast a higher save percentage, too.

Had Hampton played more games this past season, she’d certainly be higher up this list, but to sneak in from half a year’s work is impressive enough.

AdvertisementGetty Images14Lotte Wubben-Moy (Arsenal)

It's been an up-and-down season in the WSL for Arsenal, who have pulled off some fantastic individual results against the big teams around them, beating all of Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United, but struggled for consistency across the whole campaign on their way to another third-placed finish. That lack of consistency certainly doesn't apply to their best player this season though – Lotte Wubben-Moy.

In the absence of Leah Williamson, and with Amanda Ilestedt missing due to her pregnancy, Wubben-Moy has been a rock in the heart of defence for the Gunners and brought stability to the table when they've needed it. So often when a centre-back partner has needed that calming presence alongside them, she has been that.

"I think she's really developed this season in almost all aspects of her game," head coach Jonas Eidevall said. "She's improved her playing position. She's improved her duels. She's improved her leadership on the pitch." It's not gone unnoticed by England boss Sarina Wiegman either, who has given the 25-year-old more opportunities with the Lionesses in recent months.

Getty13Lauren Hemp (Man City)

Man City fans could breathe a sigh of relief when, amid rumours of interest from Barcelona, the club announced last month that Lauren Hemp had signed a new three-year contract. “I want to take my game to the next level and I feel like I’m capable of doing that here,” she said, towards the end of a season in which she has indeed shown new dimensions to her already exhilarating game.

Hemp has never registered more direct goal involvements in a WSL campaign than this past year, her 11 goals and eight assists helping City maintain a title challenge to the final day. She played her part on both sides of the ball, too, with few wingers in the game possessing as much defensive discipline and desire as the 23-year-old.

Getty12Sjoeke Nusken (Chelsea)

Another summer signing who came up big for Chelsea this season was Sjoeke Nusken – and she did so in no fewer than five different positions. Whether alternating between holding, box-to-box and attacking midfield roles, filling in at centre-back or operating in a false nine role, the Germany international was remarkably consistent despite the demands on her being otherwise.

Though largely seen as a defensive player on her arrival in London, Nusken showcased her footballing IQ with her movement in the final third and those slightly surprising attacking instincts saw her end the WSL season with eight goals and three assists, making her one of five Chelsea players to hit double figures for direct goal involvements.

Amit Mishra and Kagiso Rabada lead a strong performance with the ball after fifties from Shikhar Dhawan and Shreyas Iyer

The Report by Mohammad Isam28-Apr-2019Delhi Capitals vaulted to the top of the IPL points table with a 16-run win over Royal Challengers Bangalore at home, the win putting them in the playoffs for the first time since 2012. They had star performers all around, starting with half-centuries from Shikhar Dhawan and Shreyas Iyer, then a good finishing job from Sherfane Rutherford and Axar Patel, and finally a clinical bowling performance led by Amit Mishra and Kagiso Rabada.Mishra took two wickets in the crucial 13th over, and Rabada was excellent in the death overs – not to forget Ishant Sharma’s four-run 19th over – to leave Royal Challengers with no chance of pulling out a fourth successive win in their late-season resurgence.Dhawan, Iyer set a strong platform
Dhawan and Iyer struck fifties, lasting exactly 37 balls each. They struck seven fours and five sixes between them, as they added 68 runs for the second wicket that put Capitals in a position to push towards a big total. Dhawan mostly got his boundaries on the on-side, apart from hitting a four and a six through the covers and long-off. All five of Iyer’s boundaries – the two fours and three sixes – came through midwicket, while he found plenty of ones and twos on the leg-side too.Late charge gives Capitals a winning total
But once Dhawan and Iyer fell within three overs of each other, Capitals slowed down significantly. In between their dismissals in the 13th and 16th overs, Rishabh Pant also fell for seven off as many balls, which left the rest of the batting with a lot to do to get close to the 200-run mark. Colin Ingram fell for 11 too, to make it tougher, but Rutherford and Axar added 46 runs in the last 3.1 overs to get them to a score that eventually proved good enough. Rutherford struck three sixes and a four in his unbeaten 13-ball 28, while Patel struck three fours in his unbeaten 16.Rishabh Pant pulls off a stunning catch•BCCICapitals fielders back up their bowlersRahul Tewatia, fielding as a substitute, dropped Shivam Dube at a crucial juncture in the game, in the ninth over. That was, however, just one blip in an outstanding catching performance from the Capitals players on the day.The first was from Axar, who plucked Parthiv’s crunched cut out of thin air at point in the sixth over. Rutherford then took a straightforward – though hard-hit – catch off a Kohli pull at the deep soon after, but the real stunners were to follow. Axar again, away at deep midwicket, made good ground, caught the ball, and did a neat skip to avoid the boards to send AB de Villiers back, and Shikhar Dhawan pulled off a cool, running catch for Dube’s dismissal.The what-a-catch moments, though, belonged to Pant. First, when he hared away towards square-leg and threw in the dive to just about pouch Heinrich Klaasen. And then, in the penultimate over, when he dived and flung out his right hand to grab the chance off Gurkeerat Singh’s flash.Kohli & Co. lose their way
Parthiv Patel once again provided Royal Challengers with a fast start, hitting seven fours and a six in his 20-ball 39, as he added 63 with Virat Kohli in the opening stand. But once Axar caught Parthiv smartly at point off Rabada, Royal Challengers slowly slipped downwards.Kohli and AB de Villiers both fell to catches in the deep trying to pull half-trackers from Axar and Rutherford respectively, before Heinrich Klaasen, playing only his second IPL game of the season, was brilliantly caught by Pant in the 13th over. After Klaasen’s attempted scoop hit his helmet and lobbed away from the wicketkeeper, Pant ran hard to his left and dived to complete the catch at full stretch. Shivam Dube’s departure later in the same over added to Royal Challengers’ woes, as the equation went up to 77 from seven.No late surge as Rabada and Ishant shine
Gurkeerat Singh hitting Ishant for two fours and a six in the 17th over certainly gave Royal Challengers some hope, with the equation down from 52 off 24 to a very gettable 36 from 18. But Rabada conceded just six runs in the following over and Ishant, desperate to have another go and prove a point, then went for four in the penultimate over, before Rabada shut down the chase with another efficient final over in which he gave away just nine runs.

Manchester United have made a transfer decision on forgotten star Donny van de Beek, with a move away from the Premier League set to be completed.

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Dutch star moved to England in 2020Struggled for regular game timeWill be sold ahead of final year on contractWHAT HAPPENED?

Netherlands international Van de Beek moved to Old Trafford for £35 million ($44m) in 2020 but has found game time hard to come by throughout his association with the Red Devils – taking in just 62 appearances. He has spent time on loan at Everton and Eintracht Frankfurt, but no permanent deal has been done with either.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT AGENT SAID

Van de Beek will be due back in England over the summer, but his representative has confirmed that another switch will be sanctioned. Guido Albers has told of taking on a completely new challenge: “For me it is a very nice moment in his career to pick it up again. We said together, 'back to basics'. He's lost that a bit in recent years. He is hungry and eager to please. I came to an agreement with Frankfurt for him. Frankfurt still had an option until June 30, which they will not exercise. Officially he is now going back to Manchester United and I am now in discussions with him. Donny does not want to stay in the Premier League, also because United do not want that. That is not a good choice for him.”

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While ruling out a move to another English club, Albers says Van de Beek will not be returning to his roots either. He added on what the future could hold: “He needs to return to a club that plays good football. In any case, he will not return to Ajax. My preference was to look in Spain, Italy or France. If I could get him in Spain or Italy that would be fantastic, at a club where he will play as a No.10 like he played at Ajax. You see that the Dutch are successful in a certain way in Spanish or Italian football. He was very close to a transfer to Real Sociedad last summer. That was cancelled at the last minute because Erik ten Hag wanted to keep him until the last minute. Then he ended up at Frankfurt.”

GettyWHAT NEXT FOR VAN DE BEEK?

Van de Beek is approaching the final 12 months of his contract with United, making it imperative that they find a buyer this summer while still being in a position to demand a fee. The creative midfielder is now 27 years of age, so needs a club that will allow him to get a once promising career back on track.

Sunrisers Hyderabad might have the same number of points as their opponents, but have looked a far better team

The Preview by Vishal Dikshit03-Apr-20193:27

Agarkar: Delhi Capitals’ top three need to perform better

Big pictureEven though Delhi Capitals and Sunrisers Hyderabad have the same number of points – four – to their names right now, they have had considerably different journeys to earn them. Apart from the fact that Sunrisers have played one match fewer, Delhi have somehow managed to lose their nerves in the last two matches, not an ailment Sunrisers have shown symptoms of.Delhi were cruising in their chases against both Kolkata Knight Riders and Kings XI Punjab before slipping. Kagiso Rabada saved them in the Super Over against Knight Riders, but against Kings XI, there was no coming back as they lost seven wickets for just eight runs.Form guide (most recent matches first)

Delhi: Lost to Kings XI by 14 runs, beat Knight Riders in the Super Over, lost to Super Kings by six wickets
Sunrisers: beat Royal Challengers by 118 runs, beat Royals by five wickets, lost to Knight Riders by six wickets

They can’t afford to make such mistakes again, especially against a team that’s been among the best in the last few seasons.Sunrisers’ bowlers must be desperate to have a go and get their act back together, especially in the death overs, seeing the way Delhi have batted at the end recently. Their top-order batsmen, of course, are likely to tear into any bowling attack that errs even marginally.Sunrisers’ death bowling wasn’t tested against Royal Challengers Bangalore on Sunday, and it’s one area, along with their middle order, that Delhi would want to target. Yusuf Pathan has faced 22 balls this IPL and Manish Pandey nine. That means only one thing for Delhi: get quick wickets.Having already lost two of their four matches, this is a good chance for Delhi to win at home before they travel for three away matches within the next ten days. The Delhi track has see-sawed so far, giving first-innings scores of 147 and 185, and might continue to be low and slow on Thursday.SportzpicsIn the newsDavid Warner had taken a blow on his hand while taking a sharp catch at extra cover to dismiss Virat Kohli on Sunday. But he is now “100%” for Thursday, and while Jonny Bairstow showed signs of discomfort during his century, perhaps because of cramps in the Hyderabad heat, he is also fit.Previous meetingWhen Sunrisers met Delhi Daredevils last in May 2018, they had chased down 188 with ease, ending a Rishabh Pant century in vain. Delhi man Shikhar Dhawan was with Sunrisers then and had scored an unbeaten 92 off 50 balls.Likely XIsDelhi Capitals: 1 Prithvi Shaw, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Shreyas Iyer (capt), 4 Rishabh Pant (wk), 5 Colin Ingram, 6 Chris Morris, 7 Hanuma Vihari, 8 Axar Patel, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10, Avesh Khan, 11 Sandeep LamichhaneSunrisers Hyderabad: 1 Jonny Bairstow (wk), 2 David Warner, 3 Vijay Shankar, 4 Yusuf Pathan, 5 Manish Pandey, 6 Deepak Hooda, 7 Mohammad Nabi, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar (capt), 10 Sandeep Sharma, 11 Siddarth KaulStrategy punt Even though Mohammad Nabi opened the bowling against Royal Challengers and took 4 for 11, it might be a good idea to hold him back until Pant and Colin Ingram walk out to bat, to turn the ball away from the left-handers. His economy rate in the middle overs (7-15) is better than in Powerplays anyway: 5.30 compared to 6.10. The home side may want to open with legspin – Lamichhane – against Bairstow if the pitch is slow and low, as expected. Bairstow has been dismissed by legspinners all three times this IPL and averages 23 against them in all T20s since 2015. Sunrisers might not want to give Bhuvneshwar more than an over in the death, especially if they bowl first, given his poor recent form. His quota could be given to Rashid Khan, who has gone at 8.20 per over in the last five overs in the IPL since 2015, better than Bhuvneshwar’s 9.50 and Sandeep Sharma’s 10.Stats that matter You’re set for a spectacular scrap no matter who bats first on Thursday. Opener Prithvi Shaw has scored only five runs off Bhuvneshwar’s 12 balls overall in T20s, although with no dismissals. On the other hand, Warner has struck Rabada for only 16 off 14 balls, being dismissed once. Only two batsmen had got the better of Rashid in the last IPL: Chris Gayle and Suresh Raina. Pant, another left-hander, will take confidence from that and his own record against Rashid in the IPL: 45 runs off 30 balls and only one dismissal. To add to that, Pant averages a whopping 62.80 and strikes at 162 against Sunrisers. Pandey will have to find a way to score against the left-arm spin of Axar Patel, if he is fielded. Pandey has scored 23 runs off 39 balls against Axar over the years, while being dismissed twice. He hasn’t scored particularly quickly against left-arm spin in the IPL since 2015 anyway, with a scoring rate of 116.20. What home advantage? Sunrisers’ IPL record in Delhi reads: five wins in seven games, winning 71.40% of the matches.

Ange Postecoglou snapped back at a Sky Sports reporter after Tottenham's top four hopes took a beating following a 2-0 defeat to Chelsea.

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Tottenham were beaten in the London derbyPostecoglou lost his cool in a post-match interview Was Spurs' third successive loss in the PL WHAT HAPPENED?

Tottenham's loss to Chelsea on Thursday night dealt a significant blow to their chances of qualifying for the Champions League. Goals from Trevoh Chalobah and Nicolas Jackson in each half sealed the three points for the Blues at Stamford Bridge in front of a packed audience.

Advertisement(C)Getty imagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

This defeat compounded Tottenham's recent woes, as it was their second consecutive London derby loss following a home defeat against Arsenal the previous weekend. Now they have lost three matches in a row and Postecoglou acknowledged the need to take responsibility for his team's poor performance.

WHAT POSTECOGLOU SAID

In a post-match interview with Sky Sports, Postecoglou said: "It wasn't good enough and I have to take responsibility for that, it is on me. I am the manager and I am the one putting them out there and it was not good enough. When we put in a performance like we did in the first half it meant my message wasn't getting through."

However, the Aussie lost his cool when further pressed about what message he particularly tried to get across to his players.

"Come on mate, we didn't play well, do you want me to write you a dossier of where it went wrong?" he asked.

"I feel like we've lost a bit of belief and conviction in our football and that is on me to change that. It wasn't about conceding the [first] goal, it was our approach to playing football and we were nowhere near good enough. That is on me.

"We've been in a bit of a grind for a while now, that is part of our challenge and part of our growth. We have to go out there and perform and sometimes you have to grind out. We were poor today."

DID YOU KNOW?

Tottenham's season had started promisingly under Postecoglou, with an unbeaten run in their opening ten league games. However, their momentum was halted by Chelsea, who handed them their first defeat of the season in a 4-1 loss. And the latest 2-0 win, helped Chelsea do the league double over their crosstown rivals.

Liverpool have released their home kit for 2024-25, which features a bold ‘YNWA’ design, but will Mohamed Salah be wearing it next season?

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Latest offering from manufacturers NikeFirst campaign of the post-Klopp eraMovement expected on the transfer frontWHAT HAPPENED?

The Reds are beginning to draw up plans for what will be their first campaign in the post-Jurgen Klopp era, as the talismanic German coach prepares to walk away from Anfield after nine memorable years. Liverpool will be hoping to piece together another Premier League title challenge, while also chasing down domestic cup and Champions League honours, while donning their smart new strip.

AdvertisementWHAT DOES THE LIVERPOOL 2024-25 HOME KIT LOOK LIKE?THE BIGGER PICTURE

The 2024-25 offering – with chrome yellow patterns – delivers a nod to Liverpool’s famous shirt from 1984, when a team featuring the likes of Graeme Souness, Kenny Dalglish and Ian Rush won the European Cup and became the first English club to win a Treble of major honours.

Find out more about Liverpool's kits for the 2024-25 season here.

TELL ME MORE

There is the potential for a few fresh faces to be wearing Liverpool’s new kit, with movement on Merseyside expected in the summer transfer window. Alongside arrivals, there may also be outgoings – with the Reds hoping to fend off any speculation surrounding Egyptian superstar Salah, who is approaching the final 12 months of his current contract.

Boundary-laden series set for feisty finale on one of the best batting surfaces in the Caribbean

The Preview by Andrew Miller01-Mar-2019Big pictureIt worked out all right in the end for Grenada’s cricket faithful, as their first taste of international action for four years was reduced from a two-match festival of cricket to one single afternoon of six-smoking carnage.After Monday’s rain had given way to Wednesday’s clear skies, it was as though the England and West Indies batsmen had been unleashed from the dressing room via slingshots. Both teams tore into the bowling with a world-record 46 sixes in 98 overs of action – 24 for England, 22 for West Indies; 14 for Chris Gayle, 12 for Jos Buttler, whose innings of 150 from 77 balls was one of the most staggering onslaughts ever witnessed on the world stage.And the upshot is a series which England now have within their grasp. They lead 2-1 with just the decider in St Lucia to come, and while everything between now and the end of May pales compared to the challenge that awaits at this summer’s World Cup, there are bragging rights aplenty available in this final contest.England, for starters, would really rather like a piece of silverware to take home from the Caribbean, given how quickly their hopes in the Test series were detonated by Jason Holder and his cohorts. But there’s also that thorny question of “momentum” – a nebulous concept at the best of times, and one that most teams are happy to play up or down, as it suits them.But nevertheless, with India breathing down England’s necks ahead of their own ODI series against Australia, a West Indies win could open the door for a new No.1 team to be anointed going into the World Cup. Perhaps that might reduce some of the home-team pressure on Eoin Morgan’s men, but to judge by their approach throughout their renaissance run of form since 2015, they are dead-set on hitting the front and staying there in every contest they play.All things being equal, England start as favourites – as well they might, given the run of form they’ve been on in the 50-over format in recent years – but this contest will surely be decided, as with each of the other three so far, by the team that holds its nerve for longest in what looks likely to be another daunting run-chase.England did remarkably well to chase 361 in the opening match in Barbados, eventually easing to their target with eight balls and five wickets to spare. But two days later, they tumbled off the tightrope in dramatic fashion, losing their last six wickets for 35 runs in pursuit of 290.West Indies fell away even more quickly in Grenada, losing their last four wickets in five deliveries from Adil Rashid, but by that stage they had 389 on the board, more than any team in history to have been bowled out inside their 50 overs. Which just goes to show, none of these games is over until it is over. And even the beleaguered bowlers on both teams can produce match-turning moments in the blink of an eye. But don’t blink too often … when 46 sixes are raining into the stands, it’s not wise to take your eyes off the action for a second.Form guideWest Indies: LWLLW (Last five completed matches, most recent first)
England: WLWLWIn the spotlightHe’s been a revelation in England’s one-day side for the past couple of seasons, and – assuming his dodgy knees don’t creak unnecessarily between now and May – he’ll be one of the first names on the team-sheet for England’s World Cup opener at The Oval against South Africa. But Chris Woakes found little respite in Wednesday’s brutal engagement. His ten overs were dispatched for 91, the joint fourth-most expensive in England’s ODI history, and though a swingless venue with short boundaries was never likely to be his favourite hunting ground, his inability to find a go-to line and length as the big hits continued to rain down was a concern. He’ll be looking for a big response in St Lucia, for his own peace of mind, if nothing else.It takes a special type of player to be caught second-ball for six – and that is exactly what Shimron Hetmyer remains, despite his hot-headed cameo in Grenada that some observers believe was the turning point of West Indies’ spirited pursuit of England’s 418 for 6. Who knows what might have happened with a modicum of discretion against the extra pace of Mark Wood – the only bowler who was truly able to transcend the conditions in the 4th ODI. But then again, Hetmyer has done just fine in his young and explosive career by trusting his instincts, his technique and his immense power. His century in the second match in Barbados has kept his team in the hunt in this series, and while he may have been momentarily chastened in his latest outing, don’t expect him to change his ways too drastically.Team newsWill Andre Russell play, or won’t he? There was some surprise at the toss in Grenada when Jason Holder announced he would be missing out – ostensibly to give him more time to recover from his long flight from the UAE, where he had been playing for Multan Sultans in the PSL. There was an apparent indication that his long-anticipated return would come in this final game. But, just to complicate matters further, the man whom he is mostly likely to replace – Carlos Brathwaite – stepped up in his team’s hour of need with his maiden ODI fifty, a key contribution to a seventh-wicket stand of 88 with Ashley Nurse that took the chase into the final three overs. It’s still hard to see who else could make way, however, assuming that testing Russell’s fitness over 50 overs is a priority before the World Cup squads are finalised next month.West Indies: (probable) 1 Chris Gayle, 2 John Campbell, 3 Shai Hope (wk), 4 Darren Bravo, 5 Shimron Hetmyer, 6 Jason Holder (capt), 7 Andre Russell, 8 Ashley Nurse, 9 Devendra Bishoo, 10 Sheldon Cottrell, 11 Oshane ThomasWoe betide the batsman who gives his rival a sniff of an opportunity in England’s power-packed line-up. Jason Roy’s hamstring strain allowed Alex Hales to come romping off the bench in Grenada with an agenda-setting 82 from 73 balls – and with Jonny Bairstow also chipping in with a brisk half-century, the pair did a pretty seamless job in closing ranks for their side at the top of the order. Roy, to be fair, does have a 65-ball hundred to his credit in this series already, but he’s unlikely to be risked so soon after his niggle. The only other issue to ponder is a rejig in England’s bowling ranks to reflect the ease of West Indies’ run-making in the series so far. Tom Curran’s cunning is the obvious addition, but Woakes is likely to be trusted to recover from Wednesday’s thumping.England: (probable) 1 Alex Hales, 2 Jonny Bairstow, 3 Joe Root, 4 Eoin Morgan (capt), 5 Ben Stokes, 6 Jos Buttler (wk), 7 Moeen Ali, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Liam Plunkett, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Mark WoodPitch and conditionsSome scattered showers are expected on Friday, but the weather for the match itself is set fair. The pitch has a reputation as the best in the Caribbean, so batten down the hatches. Funnily enough, there have been just three scores in excess of 300 in the ground’s ODI history – and the two highest, 363 for 5 and 331 for 7 were both scored by New Zealand, in the space of three days, against Canada and Kenya in the 2007 World Cup. The highest total involving full-member nations is Pakistan’s 303 for 6 way back in 2005. Expect that to change, given the free-scoring carnage we’ve seen so far in this series.Stats and Trivia Victory in St Lucia would seal England’s tenth consecutive victory in an ODI series of two or more matches, dating back to their 2-1 defeat in India in January 2017. It’s not a complete record, however, as the above list omits two rather notable setbacks along the way – England’s one-off defeat by Scotland in Edinburgh last summer, and their failure to win the Champions Trophy on home soil in June 2017. Pakistan sealed the spoils after knocking them out in the semi-final in Cardiff. West Indies have had a sketchy recent record at the Darren Sammy Ground in St Lucia. After winning four of their first five ODIs at the venue from 2002 to 2004, they’ve won just three of their last 20 completed fixtures. They did, however, emerge triumphant from their most recent visit, beating Afghanistan by four wickets in June 2017. Having gone past 5000 runs earlier in the series, Joe Root needs just four more to overtake Paul Collingwood’s tally of 5092, and move into third place on England’s all-time ODI runs list, behind Ian Bell (5416), and Eoin Morgan (6051). Morgan, in fact, went past 6000 runs for England during his century in Grenada, but has a further 744 runs to his name from his Ireland days.Quotes”I’ve probably never seen anyone hit sixes as easy as he can. He’s a legend of the game.” Jos Buttler pays tribute to Chris Gayle after his incredible innings of 162 in Grenada.”Buttler is superb. You can’t take away the fact that he’s one of the best strikers in the world today … but he’s not close to the Universe Boss though!” Gayle returns the compliment … sort of … after Buttler’s own innings of 150 from 77 balls.

LAFC have reportedly secured the signature of AC Milan star and France international Olivier Giroud on a free transfer.

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LAFC to officially sign GiroudFrance star to join on free transfer in summerWill join Hugo Lloris at LAFCGet the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowWHAT HAPPENED?

After reports surfaced earlier this spring that the 38-year-old was weighing his options, from MLS to Saudi Arabia and even staying in Europe, it now appears he's made his mind up. Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano reports that the France international will officially become a member of the Black and Gold this summer.

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Giroud will slot in perfectly with the LAFC XI, as a striker is their biggest need in 2024. The 2022 MLS Cup Champions and 2023 finalists lost stalwart and club legend Carlos Vela in the offseason, and have yet to replace him.

Mateusz Bogusz has filled in valiantly, but has struggled to consistently look the part this season. The 38-year-old, who has 13 goals and eight assists in Serie A this season, will look to fill the shoes of Vela while also providing Bogusz with center-forward competition.

DID YOU KNOW?

Giroud will link-up with former France teammate Hugo Lloris with the Black and Gold, after the goalkeeper joined LAFC during the winter transfer window.

Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR LAFC AND GIROUD?

LAFC are in action this weekend against the Timbers in a Western Conference showdown. Giroud and Milan, meanwhile, are set to clash with U.S. internationals Weston McKennie and Tim Weah as the Rossoneri take on Juventus on Saturday.

In the Ranji final for the third time in seven seasons, Saurashtra are eager to win the title but not afraid of losing it, says their captain

Karthik Krishnaswamy in Bengaluru28-Jan-2019When Prerak Mankad drove Ronit More through mid-off and sealed Saurashtra’s place in the Ranji Trophy final, the Saurashtra dressing room broke into a victory chant.”Kagiso!” yelled a hoarse voice. “Rabada!” the others chorused. This happened some five times.It was an odd moment to celebrate the South Africa fast bowler.”No logic of course, it doesn’t make sense at all,” said Jaydev Unadkat, Saurashtra’s captain, when asked about it. “It’s something we picked up from the Bombay [Mumbai] crowd when we played Bombay. Some of them were shouting that way, just to boost their players maybe.”The fun-loving guys we have in our team, they picked it up for us and made a routine that whenever we won after that game, they’ve shouted like that. It’s just one of those fun moments we have after winning a game.”As the chant echoed around the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, a man who had faced 139 balls from Rabada in Test cricket, without being dismissed, shook hands with the defeated Karnataka players.ALSO READ: Synchronised clapping – the ‘punch’ that keeps Saurashtra goingIn the quarter-final, he had made an unbeaten 67 in a fourth-innings chase of 372. Now he had followed it up with an unbeaten 131 in a fourth-innings chase of 279. Saurashtra couldn’t have hoped for a bigger contribution from Cheteshwar Pujara when he joined them for the Ranji Trophy knockouts, having just returned home from a triumphant tour of Australia.

Doesn’t really matter what game, what level he’s playing, he just wants to be out there and win it for the teamJAYDEV UNADKAT ON CHETESHWAR PUJARA

According to Unadkat, however, Pujara’s contributions have extended far beyond just the runs he’s scored.”Can’t really have anyone better than him to have that influence,” Unadkat said. “The way he approached this game, or even the last game, he wants it more than any one of us.”That’s one thing I really love about him. Doesn’t really matter what game, what level he’s playing, he just wants to be out there and win it for the team. It’s really showing at the moment how determined he is to win it for Saurashtra. Helping me in the field, helping other batsmen on how to approach the game, not just in the middle but out of the game as well.”The guys have been really fortunate to have him in the side. He has been guiding the batsmen in the UP [Uttar Pradesh] game as well, that was one game where we got the confidence and it reflected in this game.”Even though we were 23 for 3, no one actually was out of belief that we can win this game, it was down to him. The character that he has, the image that he has. We’re lucky to have him in the team for sure.”Cheteshwar Pujara during a practice session•Ekana Cricket Media/ Randhir DevHaving come together after three wickets had fallen quickly, Pujara and Sheldon Jackson put on 214 for the fourth wicket to take the game away from Karnataka. They may or may not have had some help from an umpiring error when Pujara pushed at a Vinay Kumar outswinger on 34. There was a sound as ball passed bat – though on replays, without the aid of HotSpot or UltraEdge, it was difficult to say conclusively that the sound was the result of an edge – and umpire Saiyed Khaled turned down Karnataka’s appeal.A section of the 1000-plus-strong crowd at the Chinnaswamy began booing Pujara, and greeted him with chants of “cheater, cheater” when he walked off the field at the session breaks and at stumps on day four.Unadkat felt there had been a few debatable decisions through the match, going against both teams, but he sympathised with the umpires. He also felt Karnataka had let the contentious decisions affect them while Saurashtra hadn’t.”I think anyone can have a tough game. The ball was moving a lot, deviating from the wicket,” he said. “I’d just say that [the umpiring] has been neutral for sure… [Karnataka] thought it was out, we thought it was not out. There were a couple of other decisions as well, which went against us, and we didn’t really it take in our mind and play the game, which I think they did.”I’m really happy, don’t want to take any credit away from how we played this game, how we fought after being 23 for 3, and playing the way Cheteshwar and Sheldon played.”Even the second innings, when we bowled, it was one of those innings which I felt was really absorbing. We were all drained out after that third day of play. To be playing that kind of cricket against a side as good as Karnataka is what really matters to me rather than anything else in this game, and I wouldn’t want to focus on anything else.”Saurashtra will face defending champions Vidarbha in the final•Ekana Cricket Media/ Randhir DevThe chase of 372 against Uttar Pradesh in the quarter-final, Unadkat said, had filled Saurashtra with immense self-belief.”We cannot have better confidence than what we have at the moment,” he said. “Like you say, to actually do it twice (chase down testing targets) is down to how determined the guys are to win the title this year.”We spoke about it during the league phase and during the first knockout game as well. I kept saying after the last game as well, against UP. When they were 100 for 1 in the second innings and leading by 340-350 runs, that was the time when we still spoke. I spoke and Cheteshwar spoke, and we said, ‘It’s now or never’. It doesn’t really matter if we win or lose from here. We’ve worked hard throughout the season and we’re going to put in everything we have.”All 15 guys are really keen to win it for the team. The guys sitting outside as well. If you see how committed they were and how much zeal they were showing to win the game, it’s great. They were supporting every run we were scoring today, when we needed 55 runs.”You cannot ask for anything more from a team that has 15-16 players and the support staff. I think we are in a zone. It is helping us a lot. We are in a zone where we feel that energy from within. We don’t need anyone to really motivate us when we go out. When I speak or when Cheteshwar speaks, we just come into the zone when we are on the ground. That has actually helped us in the last couple of games because you can’t really do these things without having a belief that is actually so much stronger than having those doubts or pressure of winning the game. It’s just about that belief and determination the guys have from within.”When Saurashtra meet Vidarbha on February 3 in Nagpur, they will be playing their third final in seven seasons. Unadkat was part of the innings defeats to Mumbai in both the 2012-13 and 2015-16 finals. He said the team now was different, mentally, without the fear of failure.”Things have changed a lot from the time we played the last final,” Unadkat said. “We’ve got a very young side, compared to what we had then. We have three, four, or five guys who weren’t playing that game but are playing now and have done really well for the team. The atmosphere is pretty different. We were a bit desperate to win the title in those finals.”We are really eager to win it this time but we are not afraid of losing it. That is one change I can see between that final and how we’re approaching the game this year. The fact that we’ve won games like these. I think the confidence will be sky high. We’ve beaten Vidarbha this season on first-innings lead. So that’s going to play on their mind and we’d like to capitalise on that as much as we can.”Having said that, it’s the final and both teams will come out all guns blazing. Let’s hope for a great game. Both teams are looking good on paper.”

Manchester United boss Erik Ten Hag is reportedly ready to quit if he does not receive Sir Jim Ratcliffe's vote of confidence soon.

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Ten Hag ready to quit Man UtdWill leave if Ratcliffe doesn't offer supportAjax reportedly want Dutchman to return(C)GettyImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

According to , Ten Hag is willing to leave United without a vote of confidence from the INEOS head, citing an increasingly unclear future and a below-par campaign by United's standards. The Dutchman feels he and Ratcliffe are on the same page. However, the 71-year-old has yet to publicly support Ten Hag since his confirmation as co-owner when his 27.7% ownership was validated by the Premier League in February.

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Ten Hag still has one year left on his present deal, but he is willing to go without guarantees of a long-term future with the club. Under the previous administration, Ten Hag had complete control over recruitment, but his future position may be limited by CEO Omar Berrada, technical director Jason Wilcox and the anticipated entrance of Dan Ashworth to the scene from Newcastle.

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It has been reported that Ten Hag could make a return to his former club Ajax, as they have shown an interest in signing the 54-year-old manager who led them to success before he was snatched away by United. They have struggled all season long and will part ways with John Van' t Schip at the end of the season.

WHAT NEXT FOR TEN HAG?

Regardless of his future role at the club, Ten Hag will be hard at work as United look to try and breach the top four Champions League spots with just four matchdays remaining. They will take on Coventry City in the FA Cup semi-final on Sunday in hopes of returning to winning ways.