West Brom are planning to submit a new offer for the signing of a Championship veteran hailed as a "good professional", according to a fresh transfer update.

West Brom chase more signings despite strong start

The Baggies have made an impressive start to the 2024/25 season, as they look to go one better than last term's playoff heartbreak, sealing a return to the Premier League in the process.

Carlos Corberan's side have picked up seven points from their opening three matches, winning 3-1 away to Queens Park Rangers on the opening weekend before a 0-0 draw at home to Leeds United. West Brom followed that result up with a 2-1 triumph at Stoke City on Saturday, with plenty to suggest that they will once again be right in the promotion mix.

It has been a productive summer in terms of transfers at the Hawthorns, with Callum Styles most recently coming in from Barnsley, but there is still time for Corberan to add to his squad in the coming days. The Baggies have bid for Preston North End forward Will Keane, but have been rebuffed in their efforts to snap up the veteran attacker.

Juventus teenager Joseph Nonge Boende has also emerged as a reported transfer target for West Brom, but as of now, he has remained at the Turin giants. Now, a new claim suggests that the Baggies haven't given up on signing one target, though.

West Brom planning new bid for "good professional"

According to Football Insider, West Brom are set to submit a new offer for Preston ace Keane before deadline day ends, as they look to snap him up from their Championship rivals. The report says that the "improved bid will be worth £500,000", with Corberan "keen to add his attacking options after forward Brandon Thomas-Asante joined Coventry City".

At 31 years of age, Keane may not represent the long-term future for West Brom, coming in as a player who may only be around for a limited amount of time, but there is still no denying his pedigree as a footballer.

The £2,000-a-week-earning Englishman once played for Manchester United, making three appearances for arguably the biggest club side in the world, and he has proven his worth in the Championship, scoring 34 times in the competition over the years.

Preston manager Paul Heckingbottom discussed his future over the weekend, praising his attitude at the same time: "He’s happy here. He’s a good professional. Contracts are contacts aren’t they? You’re under contract. If people aren’t going to pay what the club value you at, you work hard."

Championship Table: Latest standings for the 2024/25 season

Latest English Football League Championship standings 2024/25.

By
Stephan Georgiou

Apr 22, 2025

This suggests that Preston may be stubborn in their attempts to keep hold of Keane in the current transfer window, but he could feel that West Brom have a better chance of sealing promotion to the Premier League this season – they are already 14 places higher in the table – therefore pushing for a move over the next few days.

Southampton fans will hope that, after a rocky start to the season, the newly promoted side's form does pick up after the international break is over.

Only netting one goal so far, with three defeats from three also making for grim reading, Russell Martin now has the lengthy break to try and get more out of his group on the training pitch to try to positively impact their worrying early Premier League form.

He could well even end up experimenting with what he at his disposal to try and get points on the board, but it looks very unlikely that Kamaldeen Sulemana will get a chance to impress in the first-team picture.

Sulemana's time at Southampton

Once costing the Saints a club record £22m, it's fair to say Sulemana has never quite lived up to this bumper price tag when playing on the South Coast.

From 44 appearances to date donning a Saints strip, the ex-Rennes winger has only managed to grab two goals and four assists, with zero strikes coming his way during Southampton's promotion-winning campaign.

Only averaging 39 minutes per clash that same season, it hasn't been a great shock to see Sulemana's standing in the St. Mary's pecking order take a battering moving up a league, with no games being handed to him so far in the Premier League.

A move to Ajax was meant to be the confidence-boosting switch Sulemana needed on deadline day, but that loan adventure was initially put on hold, owing to the fact it was unclear whether or not all of the paperwork involving the move took place before or after the Dutch window slammed shut.

There had even been the potential for him to move permanently to the Eredivisie giants for £17m as part of the temporary deal, although journalist Fabrizio Romano has since confirmed that the deal is now off.

Martin and Co likely wouldn't have been too gutted to see the back of their £22m flop if he had departed, owing to his hefty salary in the Saints camp which sees him earn double the salary that key first-teamer Kyle Walker-Peters finds himself on.

Sulemana's wage at Southampton

As per Capology, Sulemana's wage for the season ahead comes in at an extortionate £40k-per-week, a wild amount for a player who is yet to taste any action for Martin's men in either the league or even the EFL Cup.

On the contrary, Walker-Peters remains a key cog in the Saints machine, with the South Coast outfit relieved that the former Tottenham Hotspur man didn't move to new pastures this window just gone.

Regardless of goals like the one above from the attack-minded defender helping Southampton achieve promotion last season, and Walker-Peters averaging 87 minutes per clash in the Premier League so far, the popular 27-year-old only earns a lesser £20k-per-week pay packet.

Walker-Peters won't be the only aggrieved member of the Saints camp when it comes to Sulemana earning more, with the likes of Will Smallbone and other fixed first-teamers also earning less.

Player

Wage

First-team appearances last season

Kamaldeen Sulemana

£40k-per-week

25

Will Smallbone

£25k-per-week

46

Gavin Bazunu

£20k-per-week

41

Kyle Walker-Peters

£20k-per-week

46

Taylor Harwood-Bellis

£7.5k-per-week

43

Looking at the table above, it's not a shock to see that Southampton do want to balance the books and get rid of their £40k-per-week man, with first-team stalwart at the back from last season in Taylor Harwood-Bellis even earning significantly less at £7.5k-per-week.

Wage Burners

Football FanCast's Wage Burners series explores the salaries of the modern-day game.

Southampton have been prone to many blunders in the transfer market over the years, with Sulemana another one now added to the list.

While Martin and Co will likely now be forced to wait until January to offload the costly forgotten man, the hope will be that a last-gasp deal can be struck with a handful of markets still open across the globe.

Walcott 2.0: Southampton could soon unleash "flamboyant" teenager

Southampton could discover their next Theo Walcott with this young ace.

1 ByKelan Sarson Sep 3, 2024

ودع بورتو البرتغالي، منافسات الدوري الأوروبي، بعدما خسر أمام مضيفه روما بثلاثة أهداف مقابل هدفين في اللقاء الذي جمع بين الفريقين على ملعب “أولمبيكو”.

وواجه روما نظيره بورتو، في إياب ملحق دور الـ16 من الدوري الأوروبي في نظامه الجديد 2024/2025.

يذكر أن لقاء الذهاب بين الفريقين على ملعب دراجاو، انتهى بالتعادل الإيجابي بهدف لكل فريق.

اقرأ ايضاً.. بسبب عمر مرموش.. فينيسيوس يوبخ كامافينجا في مباراة ريال مدريد ومانشستر سيتي

أحرز سامو أوموروديون هدف بورتو بحلول الدقيقة 27 في الشوط الأول من مقصية رائعة، بعدما تلقى تمريرة حاسمة بالرأس من قبل فابيو فيريرا.

ونجح باولو ديبالا في إدراك هدف التعادل لصالح روما عند الدقيقة 35 بصناعة من إلدور شومورودوف.

ووقع ديبالا على ثنائيته الخاصة بالدقيقة 39 من تسديدة يسارية قوية، بعدما تلقى تمريرة حاسمة من كواديو كونيه.

في الشوط الثاني وبحلول الدقيقة 51، تحصل ستيفن أوستاكيو لاعب بورتو على البطاقة الحمراء.

وكاد سامو أوموروديون أن يحرز هدف التعادل للفريق البرتغالي عند الدقيقة 67، لولا تعاطف القائم بجانب روما.

واختتم نيكولو بيسيلي أهداف روما بتسجيله هدفاً ثالثاُ بحلول الدقيقة 83، بصناعة من خوسي تاسيندي.

وبحلول الدقيقة الخامسة من الوقت المحتسب بدل من ضائع عن نهاية المباراة، أحرز ديفين رينش هدفاً عكسيا في مرمى روما بالخطأ في شباك فريقه.

بذلك تمكن روما من العبور إلى منافسات دور الـ16 متجاوزاً بورتو بنتيجة 4/3 في مجموع مباراتي الإياب، في انتظار إجراء مراسم القرعة لتحديد الفريق المنافس الذي سيواجهه النادي الإيطالي. اهداف مباراة روما وبورتو (3-2) الدوري الاوروبي

Chelsea put in a commanding performance against West Ham United to secure a 3-0 win and their third of the Premier League season.

The Blues put their London rivals to the sword, dominating in transition to dispatch the Hammers. It was their second away win in the top flight this term, after beating Wolverhampton Wanderers 6-2 at Molineux.

Nicolas Jackson scored two goals in the opening 18 minutes to put his side in a very comfortable position before even a quarter of the game had gone by. His first came from a pass by Jadon Sancho, which the Senegalese striker met with great intent, driving into the Hammers box and slotting through Alphonse Areola’s legs.

His second was set up by a carving pass by Moises Caicedo, who also put in a superb showing. It split the Hammers’ defence open, and Jackson simply ran onto it and slotted home with the outside of his foot.

The 22-year-old set up the Blues’ third. It was scored by Cole Palmer to give his side an almost unassailable lead.

There were some superb performances from Chelsea, not least from Jackson and Caicedo. Palmer was as superb as ever and continued his sparkling form in a Chelsea shirt.

Palmer’s stats vs. West Ham

It has been a simply astounding start to life at Chelsea for England international Palmer. As per StatMuse on X, the 22-year-old has 39 combined goals and assists in 38 Premier League games for the West London outfit. With 16 goals and 11 assists, he is the only player in the English top flight with ten or more goals and ten or more assists in 2024, according to StatMuse.

On Saturday, he was no different, getting on the end of Jackson’s pass, driving into the Hammers’ penalty box and firing past French goalkeeper Areola, into the top corner, before dropping his iconic ‘Cold Palmer’ celebration. It was a superb finish from the Manchester City academy graduate.

The attacker’s stats, via Sofascore, were also impressive. Palmer had 30 touches of the ball at the London Stadium, with a 78% pass accuracy, He created one big chance, won five fouls and an impressive six out of eight ground duels.

Tom Olver of The Metro also thought the 22-year-old was impressive in East London. He gave Chelsea’s number 20 an 8/10 for his efforts, praising him for the way he ‘combined brilliantly’ with Jackson for the third goal.

It was not just Palmer who impressed at the London Stadium, with another of his teammates also putting in an impressive performance.

Tosin Adarabioyo’s stats vs. West Ham

The player in question here is defender Tosin Adarabioyo. After joining on a free transfer in the summer, the 26-year-old, who is also formerly of the Man City academy, made his first Premier League start for the Blues.

It is perhaps no coincidence that Enzo Maresca’s side kept back-to-back clean sheets for the first time this season with Adarabioyo in the side. Although he only played 28 minutes in the previous game against Bournemouth, he helped the Blues keep a 1-0 lead intact and was crucial against the Hammers, too.

The former Fulham defender had 61 touches at the London Stadium, more than Palmer, and had an 88% pass accuracy to go with that. He also made an impressive five clearances, showing just how important his defensive contributions were. Adarabioyo also completed one dribble, at a success rate of 100%.

Stat

Number

Touches

61

Pass accuracy

88%

Passes completed

45/51

Clearances

5

Dribble success rate

100%

Ground duels won

2/3

His performance was also rated highly by Olver, who gave him an 8/10 rating just like Palmer received. The Metro journalist credited the defender for being ‘an assured presence at the back’ against Julen Lopetegui’s side.

He has certainly shown he has the quality to start at centre-back for Chelsea. Given he now has helped keep two clean sheets in a row in the Premier League, Maresca must surely continue to back Adarabioyo and give him another start next up against Brighton.

On the evidence of yesterday’s showing, the summer signing has certainly warranted an extended run in the side.

Weekly wages: Chelsea FC 2025/26 highest-paid players

Here’s how much Todd Boehly is playing his players at Stamford Bridge…

ByCharlie Smith Sep 23, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

Instantes depois do pênalti marcado a favor do Atlético-MG, as redes sociais foram invadidas por uma avalanche de memes. O árbitro escalado pela CBF viu infraçãono toque no braço de Léo Cittadini. Na sequência, Hulk abriu o placar.

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Aos 21 minutos da primeira etapa, Zaracho recebeu bola pela direita da área, tentou cruzamento pro meio, mas a bola pegou no braço de Léo Cittadini e o árbitro Bruno Arleu de Araújo marcou pênalti para o Galo.

No Twitter, o assunto chegou a dominar os temas mais comentados da rede. Torcedores recordaram a sequência de pênaltis marcados a favor do Atlético-MG nas últimas partidas.

Implacável diante de um Athletico-PR confuso na marcação e inofensivo, o Galo aproveitou bem os espaços e saiu do Mineirão com uma goleada por 4 a 0, neste domingo (12)

CONFIRA AS REAÇÕES:

– Eu não sabia que tava tendo a final da Copa do Brasil mas eu sabia que ia ter pênalti pro Atlético – brincou um internauta.

pode levantar a plaquinha

hoje tem pênalti pro atlético pic.twitter.com/vhtPJBnhZp

— hay.ᶜʳᶠ (@hayannoca) December 12, 2021

Na vida nós temos duas certezas. Da m0rte e pênalti pro Atlético – MG todo jogo! pic.twitter.com/y0HnBFsUjE

— UrubuNews.1895 (@UrubuNews_1895) December 12, 2021

Atlético pênalti mineiro #nãoénovidade pic.twitter.com/PfKSEOqvKO

— ashmontelesᶜʳᶠ (@ashmonteles) December 12, 2021

Sem dúvidas, essa marcação de pênalti para o Atlético mineiro é a confirmação do que já se sabe… pic.twitter.com/aaaoMMnErl

— ailton borges (@ailtonborges1) December 12, 2021

Atletico dando atendimento ao seu principal artilheiro.
Mais um pênalti.#Furacão sendo #roubado pic.twitter.com/vFoAEA29GK

— Antares (@Feiticeiro333x2) December 12, 2021

Transfer deadline day has been a frantic one for Wolverhampton Wanderers, with transfer business happening all over the place at Molineux.

Gary O’Neil’s side have already completed a deal for goalkeeper Sam Johnstone, with the boss confirming that a deal for Brazilian midfielder Andre should be completed before the closure of the window at 11pm.

However, it appears his side aren’t done there, with a deal in place to sign winger Carlos Forbs from Ajax on loan with an option to buy in 12 months time.

The 20-year-old also had interest from French side Lyon earlier this week, but Wolves appear to have won the race with the former Manchester City talent set to move to the West Midlands.

Forbs may not be the only attacking player through the door in the next few hours, with another attacking player appearing to be on his way to the club – potentially forming an excellent partnership with the Portuguese ace.

Wolves make bid for another attacking talent

According to Italian outlet Tuttomercatoweb, Wolves have made an offer to sign Sassuolo winger Armand Lauriente despite the deal for Forbs.

The 25-year-old suffered relegation from Serie A with the Italian side last season, but still enjoyed a good campaign on a personal level, registering nine goal contributions in his 37 league outings.

TMW’s report goes on to state that it’s unclear at this stage if the deal would be a loan or permanent offer, but that O’Neil’s side are very keen to bring him to Molineux before the window closes.

He would be a phenomenal addition for the Wanderers, with his talents making him a perfect fit for the Premier League.

Why Lauriente would thrive alongside Forbs for Wolves

After the big-money departure of Pedro Neto to Chelsea and Daniel Podence’s proposed move to Saudi Arabia, Wolves are lacking those threatening options in wide areas who can change the game in the blink of an eye.

Forbs would be a stellar addition, finally getting his opportunity in the Premier League after impressing in City’s youth setup – registering 36 goal contributions in 27 games during the 2022/23 campaign.

However, any potential move for Lauriente would allow the youngster to form a deadly partnership with the Frenchman, with the Sassuolo ace producing some eye-watering stats last season – many of which could see the duo produce impressive tallies in front of goal this season.

The “unbelievable” 25-year-old, as dubbed by scout Antonio Mango, registered an impressive tally of combined goals and assists, but he also impressed with his dribbling ability, completing 3.9 progressive carries and two successful take-ons per 90 – demonstrating his ability at driving with the ball into forward areas.

Lauriente also managed an average of 1.5 key passes per 90, alongside 3.1 progressive passes, with his ability to find a teammate potentially benefiting soon-to-be new addition Forbs.

With only a couple of hours remaining on transfer deadline day, Wolves will have to move quickly if they are to secure a deal for both of the aforementioned talents.

Their respective talents are evident, with their potential new additions allowing the supporters to forget about Neto and Podence during the 2024/25 campaign.

Done deal: Wolves now set to sign Pedro Neto 2.0 on Deadline Day

Gary O’Neil’s side could be about to sign a talented youngster.

By
Ethan Lamb

Aug 30, 2024

The series will be part of the teams’ preparations for the T20 World Cup, which will be held from October 17 to November 14 in UAE and Oman

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Aug-2021Bangladesh will host New Zealand for a five-match T20I series from September 1 to 10, with all the matches scheduled to take place at the Shere Bangla Stadium in Dhaka. The series will be part of the teams’ preparations for the T20 World Cup, which will be held from October 17 to November 14 in UAE and Oman.The tour concludes nine days before the second leg of the IPL, which begins on September 19. This will be New Zealand’s first tour to Bangladesh since 2013, when the teams played two Tests, three ODIs and one T20I. While the Test series was drawn, Bangladesh won the ODI series 3-0 and New Zealand won the solitary T20I.NZ tour of Bangladesh schedule

New Zealand’s arrival – August 24

Warm-up T20 – August 29

1st T20I – September 1

2nd T20I – September 3

3rd T20I – September 5

4th T20I – September 8

5th T20I – September 10

Between then and now, New Zealand have hosted Bangladesh twice – for a full tour in 2016 and a limited-overs series in 2021. In their most recent outing across March and April, New Zealand whitewashed the visitors in both the ODIs and the T20Is.Bangladesh are currently hosting Australia for a five-match T20I series at home. Earlier, England’s white-ball tour of Bangladesh, which was scheduled in September-October this year, was postponed to March 2023.

Aston Villa’s return to the upper echelons of the Premier League has been years in the making, even though it may have taken the appointment of Unai Emery to act as a catalyst in their recent success.

The 3-0 win over BSC Young Boys in the Champions League on Tuesday was a reward for their ascendancy in recent months under the Spaniard, something which shows no sign of slowing down.

While Emery has made several signings that form the basis of the side now, there are a few who have been around since the days of Dean Smith, and even Steve Bruce.

Indeed, one player was signed way back in 2018, while the Midlands side were still in the Championship…

How much Aston Villa signed John McGinn for

Having lost the Championship playoff final in 2018 to Fulham, it was arguably now or never for Villa as the 2018/19 season loomed into focus.

After two years in the second tier, promotion had to be achieved, otherwise it could have seen the club endure an extended stay in the Championship.

To help things in the middle of the park, Bruce went out and signed Hibernian midfielder John McGinn for a fee of just £2m as he sought improvement, and it has turned out to be a sublime piece of business. Bruce hailed the Scot, saying…

He hasn’t done too badly recently, that’s for sure.

McGinn @ Villa – Season by season

Season

Games

Goals

Assists

2023/24

53

9

7

2022/23

36

1

3

2021/22

36

3

4

2020/21

37

3

5

2019/20

30

3

3

2018/19

44

7

10

Via Transfermarkt

John McGinn’s market valuation in 2024

McGinn helped Villa return to the promised land during his debut season before becoming an integral part of Smith’s team in the Premier League during the first few seasons back in the big time.

The Scot was hailed as a “relentless creature” by journalist Mat Kenrick during his maiden campaign at the club and this battling quality has enabled him to work his way to becoming the captain of the side.

Last season was arguably one of his most impressive at Villa Park, as he featured in 53 games across the entire campaign, scoring nine goals while chipping in with seven assists to fire the Midlands side into the top four of the league table, thus securing Champions League qualification in the process.

Market Movers

Football FanCast's Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club's star player or biggest flop worth today?

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These displays helped boost his market valuation too, which means Emery could make a serious profit for the club should he decide to sell the player.

Indeed, according to Football Transfers, McGinn is now worth an impressive £36m, which is a staggering increase on the initial £2m outlay Bruce shelled out to sign him six years ago.

This represents an increase of 1700%, certainly proving that Villa has hit the jackpot on the former Hibs starlet.

Emery will surely be hoping he can continue to deliver wonderful performances for the club over the next few years, as he is vital to any success they may go on to have

Related Emery must instantly drop Aston Villa ace after 6/10 UCL display

He had fewer touches than Martinez in Switzerland.

Posts ByJoe Nuttall Sep 18, 2024

The Friedkin Group have reportedly held internal talks over the appointment of an “unbelievable” manager to replace Sean Dyche at Everton if they complete their takeover in the coming days and weeks.

Everton manager latest

Last Saturday’s 1-1 draw away to Leicester City has done little to quieten the rumours surrounding Dyche’s future, following such a poor start to the season in the Premier League. The Blues have accumulated just one point from five matches, with a fourth relegation battle in a row increasingly looking on the cards.

Unsurprisingly, some names have been thrown into the hat when it comes to possible replacements for the Englishman, with a David Moyes reunion mooted in one report. The Scot spent 11 years at Goodison Park between 2002 and 2013 and could be a popular appointment among a chunk of the fanbase, given his history.

He was most recently in charge of West Ham, departing at the end of last season, and his knowledge of the Blues could make him a strong choice to come in and stave off the threat of relegation, taking the club into a new era at their Bramley Moore Dock stadium.

Moyes isn’t the only figure being linked with the potentially soon-to-be-vacant manager’s role at Everton, however, with ex-Borussia Dortmund boss also Edin Terzic backed to come in. He guided the Bundesliga giants into last season’s Champions League final against Real Madrid, losing 2-0 at Wembley.

Friedkin Group keen on "unbelievable" manager

Now, Give Me Sport report that Everton are interested in making Gareth Southgate their next manager, should they become the club’s new owners and decide to sack Dyche. On X, the reliable Paul Joyce has claimed that an agreement is in place to buy Farhad Moshiri’s 94.1% stake in the Blues, and the update on Southgate says Dan Friedkin has spoken internally about hiring Southgate once a deal goes through.

Southgate left his role in charge of the England after Euro 2024, feeling he had taken the team as far as he could, following their 2-1 defeat to Spain in the final. He could be a divisive appointment at Everton, with the 54-year-old gaining plenty of admirers with England but also having a lot of detractors at the same time.

To some, he did a fantastic job in charge of the national team, guiding them to two major finals, but to others, he was a defence-minded manager who didn’t get the best out of the most talented group of English players in years. For that reason, Southgate would be a risk, especially as his only managerial experience at club level came at Middlesbrough between 2006 and 2009, during which time he suffered relegation from the Premier League to the Championship.

That being said, his record for England does speak for itself – only Sir Alf Ramsey had got them into a major final in the country’s history before him, but he did it twice – while Jude Bellingham has said of him: “It was a privilege being lead by someone who is so dedicated and passionate, not only is Gareth easily one of the best coaches in the history of the national team but also an unbelievable human being.”

Everton takeover "very close" and they're eyeing a "fantastic" new manager

He won at Goodison Park last season.

ByHenry Jackson Sep 23, 2024

Southgate has arguably done enough at international level to show that he deserves another crack at the Premier League, so despite the risk element, Friedkin should be trusted to go with his gut if his takeover goes through.

England secure victory in final over after wobbles against spin in their chase

Danyal Rasool20-Jul-2021

Watching international cricket at Old Trafford, it’s easy sometimes to forget you aren’t in the subcontinent for the atmosphere Asian fans bring to the stadium. But it was the surface upon which England scraped to an achingly tense three-wicket victory over Pakistan which made you feel they might as well have been back playing cricket in the UAE.A whirlwind half-century from Jason Roy helped England grab the momentum in a game that went to the final few deliveries, but his wasn’t by any means the only star contribution to a thrilling contest. Adil Rashid had set up a chase of 155 for the batsmen with a career-best 4 for 35, picking off the Pakistan top three early in the first innings. At that stage, it looked below-par, but a slow burn of a classic was only just beginning to reveal its hand.The visitors, who had opted to bat first after winning the toss, appeared always off-balance, behind the par score, and under pressure, even as they got off to a solid enough start, bringing up the 50 inside the Powerplay for the loss off just Babar Azam. On a pitch that was taking more turn than any previously this series, that was more than good enough, with this never likely to be the sort of run-fest Headingley and Trent Bridge habitually play out. The boundaries, too, were larger at Old Trafford than anywhere else in this T20I series, and both sides knew anything above 170 could become tricky to run down.But once Rashid ploughed through Pakistan, they slumped into consolidation mode, which, in England, seems like a losing strategy. The irrepressible Mohammad Rizwan carried his bat and dragged his side past 150, but the fireworks Pakistan might have been banking on at the death never quite materialised. Moeen Ali played a quiet but vital support act at one end, allowing just 19 in his four, and when Roy and Jos Buttler came out to bat, the spectre of a routine, one-sided chase hung gloomily over the contest.Roy did little to alleviate that impression in a supreme assault on Shaheen Afridi first up, smashing, caressing and placing him for four fours in an over, before taking the attack to Imad Wasim and Usman Qadir. His reputation against spin bowling stands significantly rehabilitated, and soon enough, the asking rate had been brought down below seven.But England began to lose regular wickets to the spinners, and once Mohammad Hafeez was belatedly thrown into the mix, the asking rate crept back up, and Pakistan crept back into the contest. Dawid Malan struggled to keep the runs flowing, and it wasn’t until Eoin Morgan clobbered Hasan Ali at the top and tail of the 18th over that the hosts climbed back into the ascendancy. Pakistan continued to chip away with the wickets, but when Chris Jordan squeezed one into the leg side and hared back for the second, Pakistan had run out of runs to play with.Rizwan’s radiant form
When might it be fair to stop calling whatever Rizwan is doing in T20I cricket a purple patch and just accept he’s rather a good batter in the format? Months ago, most likely. He has now gone past 50 in eight innings in 2021, the joint-most in a calendar year, batting through an innings unbeaten four times: a T20I career record. On another two occasions, he was not out in a successful chase.He carried on that rich vein of form, holding Pakistan’s innings together even as England wreaked havoc at the other end. He was the one who got Pakistan’s innings up and running with successive boundaries off Saqib Mahmood in the second over and a six off the first ball of the fourth. But Rizwan, as has been the case all year, isn’t interested in cameos; he’s more into innings building and – given this this is Pakistan – innings rebuilding. After Rashid knocked both Sohaib Maqsood and Hafeez out in three balls, there was plenty of the latter in evidence.He played second fiddle to Fakhar Zaman while the left-hander stroked a breezy 24, bringing up his own half-century in 38 balls. When Zaman fell, Rizwan took control once more, and Rashid was clobbered for six off the first ball of his final over as Pakistan desperately tried to scrape to a total their bowlers would have a hope of defending. It looked as if Pakistan might have fallen just short, but with 76 off 57 Rizwan had done his best for the cause.Rashid’s record-equalling night
Rashid was instrumental in derailing Pakistan’s chase in the second T20I, and equally detrimental to their hopes of piling on the runs here. The pitch helped, of course; only one T20I has seen more overs of spin than the 26 Old Trafford witnessed, and that came in Dhaka in 2011.The googly that had a lacklustre Azam stumped was a harbinger of how much turn the surface would offer the slower bowlers, but ironically enough, the double-strike in his second over had less to do with Rashid’s guile than poor Pakistani execution. Maqsood holed out to long-on off one that was tossed up and right in his arc, with Hafeez then sending a long hop down deep square leg’s throat. But the pressure Rashid built up over his spell forced errors from the batters, and off the final ball of his spell, he got what he hadn’t yet achieved in his international career: a T20I four-for. His dismissal of Shadab Khan took the legspinner level with Stuart Broad with 65 wickets in the format, behind only Jordan.More importantly, it kept slowing Pakistan down, and in a game that went to the 40th over, that might have made all the difference.