A new diet could be on the cards for Harry Kane after Bayern Munich hired a new nutritionist, who will join Vincent Kompany's backroom staff.
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Bayern hire new nutritionist, Melf CarstensenHe was working for Borussia DortmundCarstensen has a long history with Bayern chiefFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Bavaria-based outlet the reported on Wednesday that Bayern have snapped up a new nutritionist named Melf Carstensen, who was working for Borussia Dortmund. The report stated that Cartsensen boarded the plane with the Bayern squad from Munich on Tuesday, as the Bundesliga champions departed for Orlando ahead of the Club World Cup.
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Carstensen was under contract with Dortmund, who will also be participating in the Club World Cup, until June 30, 2025. However, sporting director Max Eberl acquired his services just in time for the Club World Cup. Eberl knows the nutritionist from their time together at Borussia Monchengladbach.
At Gladbach, he earned the nickname 'Miraculix' — a nod to the wise druid from the Asterix & Obelix comics who concocts the magical potion that gives the Gauls their superhuman strength. Much like his cartoon counterpart, Carstensen believes in the power of the right formula. After training sessions, he turns to specially prepared recovery shakes, rich in carbohydrates and protein, to quickly replenish energy and support muscle repair.
DID YOU KNOW?
Carstensen is a big believer in evidence-based solutions, placing emphasis on unprocessed foods to conjure maximum recovery. His arrival at Bayern is certainly set to improve the physical endurance of the players, with dietary changes set to follow.
"The goal is to delay fatigue as much as possible. Ideally, farther than the opponent. 20 percent more mileage is possible with the right nutrition – that's exactly what we need and want," Carstensen said in an interview in 2022. "You can't do without it. If the rice pudding is crap, you lose. Food is a pleasure. It should taste good. Especially for the players, who also know good food, it's not like they only get rice with tomato sauce. We try to make it as interesting, tasty, and varied as possible."
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adidas/FC BayernWHAT NEXT FOR BAYERN MUNICH?
Die Roten will play their first game of the Club World Cup on Sunday, June 15, when they take on Auckland City.
The Oval is known to assist spinners from time to time, and Ponting wants India to field both Ashwin and Jadeja, with Jadeja batting at No. 6
Ashish Pant29-May-2023Ricky Ponting wants India to play as many X-factor players as possible if they want to have an edge over Australia in the World Test Championship (WTC) final. Like Ishan Kishan, who, Ponting feels, is a stronger bet than KS Bharat to play as the wicketkeeper-batter in the absence of Rishabh Pant, and Suryakumar Yadav.Speaking on the latest episode of the ICC Review podcast, Ponting said his India XI at the WTC final would also include both R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, with Jadeja playing primarily as a batter at No. 6, with Suryakumar above Jadeja in the middle order.”If I was them [India], knowing the importance of this game – and you have to win this Test match – I’d be going with Ishan Kishan in this game,” Ponting said. “He provides that little bit of X-factor that you need when you might be pushing for a win in a Test match. Obviously, if Rishabh Pant is fit, he is playing, and he provides that X-factor for India. But with him not being there, and this is no blot on Bharat whatsoever, but I think Kishan just provides that little bit more X-factor, who’d do a good job with the gloves but can provide that really high-scoring run rate that is required in a one-off Test match to push for a win.Related
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“I’d be going with as many X-factor players as I could and put some real pressure back on Australia.”Neither Kishan nor Suryakumar are Test regulars. Kishan is yet to make his Test debut, though he was in the squad for the home Test series against Australia earlier this year, while Suryakumar played his only Test in that same series, making eight runs the only time India batted in Nagpur, where they won by an innings and 132 runs on their way to a 2-1 series win.Both players, however, have decent first-class records.While Suryakumar has scored 5557 runs in 80 first class games at an average of 44.45, Kishan has 2985 in 48 matches, averaging 38.76. They have both, however, made their names mainly as explosive short-format batters.While Ponting did not elaborate on why he wanted Suryakumar to bat at No.5, he did say he was happy to see Ajinkya Rahane back in the Test fold.Rahane, India’s No. 5 until he was dropped in early 2022, had a good domestic season (2022-23) where he finished as Mumbai’s highest run-getter in the Ranji Trophy with 634 runs in seven matches at 57.63. Rahane also surprised many watchers with his aggressive stroke play as a top-order impact batter for Chennai Super Kings in the latest IPL.”Jinks (Rahane) has had an incredible IPL as well. It’s funny, isn’t it, how IPL runs can now get you picked back into a Test match squad,” Ponting said. “Jinks has been on the outer for the last couple of years in Test cricket, but everyone saw how confident he looked and how well he played in the IPL and that was enough to get him back in.”I think they will pick Jadeja and Ashwin because Jadeja can hold that No. 6 batting spot”•BCCI”He has been there and done it before in Test cricket. It was probably a bigger hurdle for him to climb to get back into playing really good T20 cricket than it is for him to go back and play good Test cricket. His make-up is much more suited to the Test game than it is to T20 cricket. He has rediscovered some confidence and if he does get picked, I won’t be surprised to see him get runs in that Test match.”He has always been a really high-quality player and we saw him even with his leadership qualities here in Australia, in that last series to turn things around.”The 15-man India squad has three frontline spinners – all of them spin-bowling allrounders – in Ashwin, Jadeja and Axar Patel. While Axar has showed consistency across formats in recent months, Ponting expects India to opt for Ashwin and Jadeja purely because of the nature of the pitch at The Oval, where the Test will be played from June 7 to 11.”I think they will pick Jadeja and Ashwin because Jadeja can hold that No. 6 batting spot,” Ponting said. “His batting has improved that much that they can pick him as a batter now that might just bowl a few overs if required. There is no doubt that Ashwin is a more skilled and better Test bowler than what Jadeja is, but if Jadeja can hold down that batting spot and then as the game goes on, getting into the fourth and fifth day, if it does start to turn, then you have got that really high-class second spin bowling option if required.”Historically, the Oval pitch has been a very good batting wicket. It’s generally offered something for the fast bowlers on day one, not a lot. But I have also played some games there where it has turned a lot. If it starts a little bit dry, it can turn a lot.”
Despite the fact that Arsenal sit second in the Premier League table and are in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, this has been one of the hardest seasons of Mikel Arteta’s managerial career to date.
It all started with the bizarre red card for Declan Rice against Brighton in the early stages of the campaign, sent off for kicking the ball away.
From that moment, not a lot has gone Arsenal’s way. The Gunners saw Leandro Trossard also sent off for kicking the ball away against Man City, William Saliba give away a penalty for grazing heads with Joao Pedro in the return fixture against Brighton and a whole host of injuries.
Bukayo Saka has been missing since December, Martin Odegaard endured a few months out with an ankle problem, while Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz – the club’s only centre forwards – are out for the season.
How’s ya luck, Mikel? Not very good apparently.
Still, there has been one positive, and that’s that Arsenal may have found their answer to the Granit Xhaka question.
How Arsenal can fill their Granit Xhaka void
After the Switzerland international left the Emirates Stadium behind in 2023 after a career-best season in the final third, there weren’t too many worries about the future of his position.
Granit Xhaka
Kai Havertz – a £65m signing from Chelsea – was initially bought to fill the midfield vacancy but has become a striker – while Declan Rice, the mega £105m addition, has been moved further forward into the left 8 role in 2024/25. The trouble with Rice is that his right-footedness brings him inside more than you’d like from that role.
The other solution has been Mikel Merino who was also signed with the goal of improving their play on the left side of the pitch. Left-footed and a duel-winning machine, the signs looked bright before he’d taken to the field but the Spaniard hasn’t truly kicked on in his debut campaign. In fact, like Havertz, he’s looked more vibrant when playing as the central striker.
Then you have Oleksandr Zinchenko, who let’s be honest, hasn’t been given a fair chance in his natural midfield position.
The Ukrainian showed against PSV in the second leg of their Champions League last 16 tie that he’s still a cracking central midfielder, scoring the opening goal in beautiful fashion.
While Rice is intelligent enough and has the mentality to keep improving in the left 8 role, perhaps it’s Myles Lewis-Skelly who could fill that role in due course.
Arsenal's new Granit Xhaka and Jack Wilshere hybrid
Arsenal spent the best part of £200m on the trio of Rice, Havertz and Merino. It’s rather typical, therefore, that the solution may come from the academy, thus not costing Arteta and Co a single penny.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
That’s because 18-year-old superstar, Lewis-Skelly, a young individual described as “fearless” by Rice, looks like he could be the future of Arsenal’s midfield.
The teenager has broken through as a left-back this term and has done seriously well, notably scoring against Manchester City and then finding the back of the net on his England debut against Albania last Friday too.
However, despite being so impressive in that role, his future should lie in midfield. He’s a midfielder by trade and it’s helped him play that inverted left-back position to perfection.
He comes into central pockets, can evade the press and he’s also got a pass in his locker too. In short, the youngster pretty much has everything you want from a player looking to fill the Xhaka void. Crucially, he’s left-footed and forward-thinking too.
Like Xhaka, he’s a particularly progressive passer, notably making 4.38 progressive passes per 90 in the top flight this term. For context, the Swiss midfielder made 5.89 during his final season in the Premier League. The caveat for Lewis-Skelly is that he’s playing further back, meaning his numbers should rise if given more license in the final third.
That said, there’s also a bit of Jack Wilshere to the Arsenal teen, and that’s not just because they’ve both come through the Hale End academy.
Matches played
14
Matches started
9
Minutes per game
55
Goals
1
Assists
0
Accurate passes
94%
Tackles per game
1.4
Ball recoveries per game
2.2
Errors leading to shot/goal
0
Duels won per game
3.9
Red cards
2
Wilshere – like Lewis-Skelly – is left-footed and they both move in a very similar way. The former had the ability to change speed in an instant to burst past a player and his close control was exquisite, making it incredibly hard for anyone to get the ball from him.
As a result, he was fouled more times per 90 minutes (3.6) than any other Premier League player in the 2017/18 campaign. The Englishman’s career average was at 1.7 times per game. Compare that to Lewis-Skelly; he has been fouled 1.6 times per game, the second-highest rate at Arsenal behind only Bukayo Saka (2 times per game) throughout 2024/25.
They possess that difficult-to-teach art of inviting a foul and manipulating their body to initiate contact and drag the ball away from their opponent before they can nip in and win it.
Already boasting 26 first-team appearances to his name this term, the future is certainly bright for Lewis-Skelly, a player who boasts the best traits of both Xhaka and Wilshere.
Of anyone in this squad, he looks like the most natural successor to the left 8 role. Make it happen, Arteta.
Arsenal starlet was ahead of Nwaneri & Lewis-Skelly, then he left for £1m
Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly are two of the finest talents to emerge from the Arsenal academy.
Real Madrid legend Raul Gonzalez has officially stepped down as the manager of the club's Castilla side after six years at the helm.
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Raul to leave Real Madrid CastillaSpent six seasons with reserve teamHas attracted interest from Bundesliga clubsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Real Madrid have officially announced the departure of club legend Raul from his post as manager of Real Madrid Castilla, the reserve side, on Tuesday, bringing an end to the former Spain international's six-year stint as the head coach of the B team.
Raul will depart Madrid after six seasons at the helm of the reserve team, where he delivered a consistently commendable performance. Under his leadership, Castilla came heartbreakingly close to promotion to the Segunda Division, narrowly losing in the playoffs to Eldense during the 2022–23 campaign. Although this season began on a disappointing note, with many tipping the team for relegation to the fourth tier, Raul once again proved his managerial mettle. He steered Castilla to a strong sixth-place finish, just shy of a playoff spot, defying expectations and reinforcing his credentials as a promising manager.
WHAT REAL MADRID SAID
In their official statement, Los Blancos thanked Raul for his services, stating: "Real Madrid C.F. announces that Raul has informed the club of his decision to end his time as a coach at our youth academy. Real Madrid is proud to have had one of the greatest legends in our history and world football as a coach and trainer at our youth academy. Raul also exemplifies all the values of Real Madrid. Values that he has also passed on as a coach: he coached Cadete B (U15s) and Juvenil B (U18s) in the 2018-2019 season. Since then, he has coached Castilla. In August 2020, he also coached Juvenil A (U19s), the team that won the Youth League. Raul will always be in the hearts of all madridistas, and Real Madrid will always be his home. Real Madrid wishes Raul and his family all the best in this new stage of his life."
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DID YOU KNOW?
Raul is one of the biggest names in the history of Real Madrid. Having come through the ranks at La Fabrica, Raul made his first team debut at the age of 17 in 1994 and was an instant hit at the Santiago Bernabeu. Before leaving for Schalke in 2010, the Spaniard scored 323 goals, a club record until Cristiano Ronaldo surpassed him, and made 741 appearances, which is a club record that stands to this day.
Everton are moving forward, but all the same, David Moyes’ return has created a nostalgic feel to this Goodison Park, who are poignantly and perhaps fittingly preparing to depart for Bramley Moore.
A new era begins with an old dog, but Moyes is proven on Merseyside and indeed elsewhere, leading West Ham United through three successive campaigns on the continent and indeed winning the Conference League in 2022/23.
Everton manager DavidMoyes on the touchline before the match
Can he lead the Toffees back to a rich and lasting period? Moyes has already got to work shaping Sean Dyche’s squad to his design, with one member in particular carrying the qualities to become the Scot’s next version of Mikel Arteta.
Mikel Arteta under Moyes' wing
Younger Premier League fans will exclusively recognise Arteta for his time in the Arsenal dugout, taking a meandering outfit back to the forefront of domestic and European football.
However, he once roamed Premier League pitches at the heart of Arsene Wenger’s Gunners midfield, and before that, Moyes’ Everton.
Intelligent, silky and dynamic, Arteta bridged gaps between central- and attacking-midfield berths, with Moyes hailing him as a “complete” and “conscientious” player during the duo’s marriage.
Across 209 Everton appearances (all with Moyes at the helm), Arteta proved himself to be one of the most technically gifted footballers in the top flight from the offing, making the move to north London in August 2011 for a £10m fee after informing the Blues he wanted out and was willing to take a pay cut to make it happen.
It’s perhaps a testament to Moyes’ adoration of Arteta’s style during his playing days that he instantly moved to sign his next version of the Spanish maestro when arriving at Everton back in January.
Everton's new Arteta
Everton’s recruitment has been generally shoddy over the past decade, but Dyche and departing Director of Football Kevin Thelwell did make one or two good moves before leaving.
Chalkboard
It means Moyes has got players such as Iliman Ndiaye, Beto and Jake O’Brien to fashion into shape, all showing positive signs in recent months. However, the 61-year-old did need to dip into the winter market to sign Charly Alcaraz on loan from Brasileiro Serie A club Flamengo.
Everton midfielder Charly Alcaraz
Everton have the option to sign the attacking midfielder permanently for a shrewd £12m fee at the end of the season, and on the basis of the early evidence, the 22-year-old has talent in spades and could become a high-class player in Moyes’ system.
Positionally, Alcaraz has been around the block.
Although, saying that, the Argentina youth international has also partaken in a nomadic journey across the opening years of his career, Everton being his fifth club as a professional.
He even joined Juventus on loan last season, with the Serie A giants deciding against activating the £40m clause to land his signature for good. Even so, it denotes the high regard Alcaraz is held in.
Central midfield
74
10
5
Attacking midfield
19
4
2
Right winger
14
4
2
Centre-forward
10
2
2
Defensive midfield
9
1
0
Left winger
7
1
2
Right-back
1
0
0
Journalist Antonio Mango described him as a “special talent” in the past and it’s clear to see why. Alcaraz has the qualities to become a multi-functional general in the same vein as Arteta, especially when looking at his athletic ability through the lens of FBref’s data.
Though he hasn’t yet played enough in England for his metrics to be recorded, FBref record that Alcaraz ranks among the top 7% of midfielders in the Brazilian first tier in 2024 for shot-creating actions, the top 6% for progressive carries and the top 8% for successful take-ons per 90.
He’s got a range of attack-focused skills to damage Everton’s opponents, but also a combative and hard-working side that will see him find true success in Moyes’ system.
Charly Alcaraz celebrates for Everton
Arteta was renowned for his passing, but he also played out on the right wing and later shifted into a deeper-lying midfield berth. Alcaraz has natural-born creativity and an energetic approach besides, but he’s actually begun to showcase maturity in defensive phases, making an impression at Goodison Park.
Let’s examine that in closer detail.
Alcaraz has played five times in the Premier League so far for Everton, enjoying a goal-and-assist performance against Crystal Palace during a February win at Selhurst Park.
But he’s played his role and played it well over the past several weeks, with Sofascore noting the South American has won 52% of his ground duels at Everton having completed 82% of his passes and created four big chances along the way.
This bodes well indeed. The £20k-per-week star is proving he can grow as a player and contribute across different phases of any particular contest.
In 2022/23, when he plied his trade with imperilled Southampton, Alcaraz won only 36% of his duels and created just one big chance across 18 Premier League outings. There was a player in there to be sure, but he was unrefined and could hardly have been expected to offer more than he did – scoring four goals – for a wayward outfit spinning toward relegation.
Charly Alcaraz for Southampton
Moyes has only welcomed one player to the Everton first team so far, and in Alcaraz, he might just find a long-term star, especially with Abdoulaye Doucoure reaching the end of his contract this summer.
He’s already shifted between attacking and more central midfield roles for Everton this season, and indeed has all the trappings of a budding maestro in the middle of the field, one who could see Moyes restore the spirit of Arteta to his new-look Everton team.
He's like Moise Kean: Everton considering bid for "world-class" £25m CF
Everton are looking to change things with David Moyes at the helm.
Vithushan Ehantharajah witnesses stunning collapse after Lawrence century, Roland-Jones seven-for
Vithushan Ehantharajah07-Apr-2023Essex 266 (Lawrence 105, Roland-Jones 7-61) lead Middlesex 170 (Higgins 70, Simpson 63, Porter 6-35) by 96 runsVisitors to Lord’s will notice that there are now two replay screens above the Allen Stand next to the Pavilion. Opulence, perhaps, but in an UltraHD era, the crispness of those letters and digits were a recognisable example of a traditional sport moving with the times. And yet there was a moment at about 2.50pm on Good Friday, when all within the ground strained between blinks as they tried to register what both screens displayed.Middlesex’s top four all had noughts to their names, all dismissed, yet four runs had been amassed by virtue of two front-foot no-balls. Jamie Porter had figures of 3 for 2 – Sam Robson was lbw to the first ball of Middlesex’s innings before Pieter Malan was bowled with the third, then Stevie Eskinazi was caught down the leg side with the 16th – just after Sam Cook got in on the act with Mark Stoneman caught behind.Four for Four. And not just any four for four; the first time in 48 years No.1, 2, 3 and 4 had all been dismissed for ducks in the County Championship.All that was missing was the sitcom record-scratch accompanied by the usual “You’re probably wondering how we got here?”. The answer to that in itself was more than enough to get your head around at the start of a Bank Holiday weekend. Dan Lawrence completed a measured yet engaging century, but with Toby Roland-Jones taking 7 for 61 in response, Essex, having begun day two on 162 for 3, were limited to 266 all out under bright blue skies.What advantage they had ceded was quickly re-established with the ball. It took 4.4 overs for Middlesex to get their first run off the bat, a frantic tip-and-run from Max Holden drawing ironic cheers from the stands. He was the next to fall – 20 for 5 – when Porter nabbed a fourth thanks to a smart low catch by Simon Harmer at second slip.A period of breath-catching followed with a127-run stand between Ryan Higgins and John Simpson. But it only delayed the inevitable of a sizeable Essex first-innings lead – 98 – and Porter’s first five-wicket haul of the summer. The 29-year-old finished with six for 35, with Harmer’s 3 for 33 – beginning with bowling Higgins through the gate to break the sixth-wicket partnership – keeping the tail honest. That Essex were able to remove the last five Middlesex wickets for just 23 at the end of a session pushing three hours was a testament to their red-ball dominance established well before this day.It felt like an age since Lawrence had resumed on 74. It was a whole different game with a very different story when he was ticking off the remaining runs to a 13th first-class century with the same patience, sound judgement and the odd flash of brilliance he showcased on Thursday. He marched at Tim Murtagh to pull him for six – a second of this knock – and went from 99 to 103 with an on-drive for four. The stroke was greeted with a skip and punch of the air at the climax of a cursory jaunt to the non-striker’s end.Dan Lawrence celebrates reaching his hundred•Getty ImagesLawrence is not usually a big celebrator, but the personal value of this knock after a 2022 summer of struggle – just 420 runs at 21.20 – was high, and not just because this was a first hundred at Lord’s. He knows this is a huge summer as far as international credentials are concerned.Unlike last summer, when he drifted away from the Test set-up under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum despite a valiant showing in the Caribbean under different interim management, Lawrence looks more at ease. He may have only carried drinks in New Zealand, but was left with a far better idea of where he stands and what he can do to move forward.”I think the general messaging for me was I score quickly enough anyway,” Lawrence explained about the nuggets he had been offered from Stokes and McCullum. “So I don’t need to change that much. It was probably more the other way for me; I’m trying to hone my defence a little bit more and then have the odd calculated gamble where I’ll take someone on when I feel like I need to. And it paid off this week.”The game changed considerably when Lawrence departed. He was the first of four wickets to fall for just 30 runs, the last three to Roland-Jones, bringing up the seamer’s 25th five-wicket haul. The first came as the culmination of a 12-over period in which Essex managed just 14 runs. Helm, Higgins and Luke Hollman kept things quiet until the new ball, before the skipper stepped in to finish things off.Adam Rossington, formerly of this parish, flicked straight to square leg before Roland-Jones bagged Simon Harmer (lbw) and Shane Snater (bowled via an inside-edge) in consecutive deliveries, the latter giving him five in the match and a 500th first-class dismissal. The hat-trick ball was a naff half-volley on leg stump put away by Ben Allison with ease. A more appropriate delivery to a No.9 eventually came after lunch – the 35-year-old seaming one into the front pad after Allison had committed early to a forward defence.Matt Critchley was watching calmly at the other end, like a Parisian dining alfresco amid a riot. His calm indifference to the collapse unfolding was characterised after lunch when he struck four fours in the 89th over off Helm, including a gorgeous straight drive to remind Middlesex a frontline batter had been playing possum.Critchley moved to 50 from 98 – a third score of fifty or more for Essex since joining from Derbyshire at the end of 2021 – but greeted the milestone with a shake of his head. He had exposed the No.11 Porter to five deliveries of a Roland-Jones over in taking that single. Ironically, he would be the man to fall to the Middlesex skipper, lured into attacking the short boundary and skying a pull that was smartly taken by Simpson.Barely 30 minutes after the catch, Simpson was back out there tending to the wreckage of Middlesex’s top-order. He was the one to walk out on 4 for 4, for so often the designated firefighter this side of London, heading towards the danger once more. Higgins was more of the aggressor in their stand – a half-century from 72 balls, whereas Simpson’s came from 151 – and Simpson’s failed attempt to take matters into his own hands further spoke of Essex’s chokehold on the game.Essex could have had Simpson for just 5 had Rossington reacted better to a nick off Porter. That would have made it 15 for 5 and perhaps increased the likelihood of Middlesex not passing the follow-on target of 116. Nevertheless, the hosts have plenty to do to avoid a chastening defeat in their first match back in Division One.
Emma Hayes was full of praise for her side as she reflected on her "emotional" final home game in charge of Chelsea.
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Chelsea win 8-0 against Bristol CityHayes coached her final home game of BluesArsenal beat Man City to give Chelsea title hopeWHAT HAPPENED?
Hayes' Chelsea side stormed to an astounding 8-0 victory over Bristol City to send a stark warning to league leaders Manchester City. The Blues boss described managing her final home game as "strange" but was delighted to score such a huge victory that re-opens the WSL title race. Hayes is set to leave the Blues to join the USWNT at the end of the season and is dreaming of ending with another league title.
AdvertisementGettyWHAT HAYES SAID
, Hayes said: "It's emotional. I have had a lot going on thinking about it [her departure]. I have spent a third of my life doing this with Chelsea. It has been my home, my family. My family have been here with me, my son has been born here. I experienced my dad dying in the last year in a club that has been my entire heart.
"It has felt strange for me in the last couple of months but I am grateful. I look out tonight and see the fans and I feel the love and I feel the love for the team and it is all I have ever really wanted.
"These are my people, this is my community, I'd go to war with them and I have done. I wouldn't change a single day and I am grateful to have been given the honour to be manager of this team."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
It has been a mixed second half of the season for Hayes and Chelsea who, going for a quadruple, were knocked out of the Conti Cup, FA Cup and Champions League in the space of just over a month.
"We've had some disappointments, no question, but I think the players wanted to put in a performance that was worthy of what champions look like," Hayes explained. "We didn't want to go out on a whimper, for Fran [Kirby], for Maren [Mjelde], we wanted to make it a game to remember for the fans."
With just the WSL title left up for grabs, Chelsea needed a miracle to catch leaders Manchester City, who could have gone within one point of all-but-sealing the WSL title on Sunday.
However, a late Stina Blackstenius brace for Arsenal snatched victory away from City. Chelsea's eight goals then put the title back in their own hands after overhauling City's superior goal difference.
Hayes could not believe Sunday's events. She said: "What are the chances of that? That at the beginning of the day that Arsenal would beat City late on and we would win 8-0, what are the odds of that? That shows you what you can do when you have belief.
"I said to the players that we have to be ready. If Man City slip up, we have to be ready. Today was another opportunity for us to get closer to something that was slipping out of our grasp quite honestly. I am super proud. Everything Chelsea represents was shown there today."
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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR HAYES?
Chelsea and Hayes make the short trip to north London to take on Spurs on Wednesday hoping to take full advantage of their game in hand over Manchester City. Should they win, they will go into the final game of the season against Manchester United top of the league. City have to travel to Aston Villa knowing they have serious work to improve their goal difference to potentially pip Chelsea to the title.
Arsenal are thought to be leading the race for an in-demand target in the New Year, according to a fresh report.
Arsenal transfer news
The Gunners find themselves in a solid position in the Premier League table as we approach the halfway stage of the campaign and can return to the top of the league standings with a win over West Ham on Thursday evening.
Sporting director Edu, who works together with manager Mikel Arteta, could look into new signings with the January transfer window just around the corner to bolster their squad for the season half of the season. A new forward appears to be on the to-do list in 2024, with a number of targets being linked.
Ivan Toney
20/12/2023
Boulaye Dia
16/12/2023
Dusan Vlahovic
23/11/2023
Marcos Leonardo
24/11/2023
Santiago Gimenez
28/10/2023
However, despite the Gunners having the joint-best defence in the league, a new centre-back has also been rumoured to join. Recent reports have claimed that Arsenal are preparing to trigger the release clause in the contract of Sporting CP star Goncalo Inacio, and a new development has now emerged.
Sport Witness relayed an update from Portugal regarding Arsenal and Inacio in the last 48 hours, claiming it is the Gunners who are in fact leading the race for the centre-back. The Gunners are ‘best positioned’ to win the race for Inacio and are well-placed to ‘advance for the signing’ ahead of January, with any deal needing to be his €60m (£52.1m) release clause.
There is plenty of interest in Inacio, though, with rivals Tottenham, Manchester United and Liverpool also keen on the Portuguese star.
lucas-beraldo-goncalo-inacio-liverpool-opinion
Inacio compared to Gabriel and Saliba
Inacio, who football talent scout Jacek Kulig described as "complete", is just 22 years of age but already boasts a wealth of senior experience for Sporting. The player has made 145 senior appearances for the club after progressing through their academy, scoring 14 times and providing eight assists along the way. (Gonaclo Inacio stats – Transfermarkt)
He’s gone from strength to strength and is now a full Portugal international with a career-high €30m Transfermarkt valuation. Thee left-footeed defender even helped Sporting knock Arsenal out of the Europa League last season by scoring in the last 16 first leg. Gabriel and William Saliba have become Arteta’s first choice pairing, but as can be seen below, Inacio has outperformed the pair in a number of areas so far this season.
Player
Progressive Carries
Progressive Passes
Successful take-ons
Interceptions
Goncalo Inacio
20
96
7
13
Gabriel Magalhaes
7
45
1
13
William Saliba
8
70
2
11
Therefore, you could argue that securing the services of Inacio in 2024 would be a major coup, especially considering the amount of interest from England in the player from some of their biggest rivals. Arsenal are seemingly in a good position to get a deal done given this latest update, so it’ll be interesting to see if they make their move in the coming weeks.
Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham is reportedly dating Laura Celia Valk, after splitting from another Instagram model last summer.
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Bellingham split with Asantewa Chitty last yearReal Madrid star now reportedly dating ValkInstagram model said to be 'smitten'WHAT HAPPENED?
According to The Sun, the 20-year-old is now dating Dutch model Laura Celia Valk, a year after splitting with Asantewa Chitty, and the two have been staying at the England international's Madrid home. The pair follow each other on Instagram, with the influencer posting a series of photos from The Madrid EDITION hotel earlier this month with a mystery companion.
AdvertisementGettyTHE GOSSIP
The report adds that the 25-year-old, who has 370,000 Instagram followers and has modelled for brands such as PrettyLittleThing, is "completely smitten" with the former Borussia Dortmund star. This comes less than a year after the midfielder reportedly broke up with influencer Chitty after signing up to the celebrity dating app Raya.
DID YOU KNOW?
One man who is an admirer of Bellingham is former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand. Following Madrid's Champions League win over Manchester City earlier this month, the ex-England man wrote on social media: "If your daughter is going to bring someone home… that’s what you want them to come with. What a guy @BellinghamJude."
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LaLigaWHAT NEXT?
Aside from Bellingham's rumoured dating life, his Madrid side take on Real Sociedad in La Liga action on Friday night, followed by the first leg of their Champions League semi-final away to Bayern Munich on April 30.
Pakistan suffered their first series defeat in this format after a record 11 consecutive wins
The Report by Danyal Rasool03-Feb-2019It took 29 runs off a frenetic final over from David Miller as Pakistan lost the plot just after the rain break, and Pakistan spent 20 overs trying to undo the damage. Despite the best efforts of a scintillating Babar Azam, who stroked a superlative 90 in a mammoth partnership with Hussain Talat, the 188 South Africa had put up thanks to a 29-ball 65 from their stand-in captain was seven runs too many for Pakistan. For the second time in as many matches, Pakistan fell short in the final over, allowing South Africa to seal the series with a game to spare. It means Pakistan suffer their first series defeat in this format after a record 11 consecutive wins, their maiden reverse since the World T20 in 2016.It might have been just a T20, but it was an epic, one for the ages. Spanning nearly four and a half hours thanks to a rain break, the full house at one of the most iconic sporting venues was rewarded for braving the elements. It was just after the rain break at the Wanderers that South Africa struck the blows that would, in hindsight, allow them to lift the trophy, with 56 runs scored off the final three overs; until then, Pakistan had bowled well enough to restrict South Africa to a total that appeared well below-par at a ground that has made its name for high-profile chases.Shoaib Malik’s choice to allow Usman Shinwari the final over on a day he had already conceded 34 off three backfired spectacularly, with Miller in the sort of irrepressible form that earns him his fearsome reputation. For most of the innings prior, South Africa had held on to wickets while preparing a platform for lift-off, without quite being able to achieve it. For the second time in as many games, Pakistan had Imad Wasim to thank for that, impeccable tightness ensuring he conceded an astonishing nine runs off his allotted quota. That, in an innings which, his overs removed, saw the hosts score 179 runs in 16.Pakistan’s chase looked on track for the best part of 15 overs, and they had their own golden boy Babar to thank for it. He started off by caressing Beuran Hendricks for three fours off the first three balls. It was a pattern he repeated no less than three times across an innings that would have been appreciated by connoisseurs of all formats, so classical were his shots and assured the execution. Even with the relatively early loss of Fakhar Zaman, Babar found in Talat a partner both willing and capable to continue the onslaught, and when 70 had been scored off just six overs, Pakistan may have begun to think they had compensated for profligacy at the back-end with pugnacity at the start.But in a chase of 188, scoreboard pressure is relentless, and it always seemed like it might begin to tell on Pakistan at some point.Lutho Sipamla, making his debut, showed why discerning followers of South African cricket speak of him with such gushing excitement, varying his pace with the intelligence and composure his senior teammates had failed to muster across the innings. He conceded only one boundary across a four over spell where Babar was kept quiet, and went at under a run a ball when every other South African quick had conceded at least nine per over.Babar Azam flays one through the off side•AFPWith the rate raising in the last five overs thanks to a couple of tight ones, Talat’s touch began to desert him. That put more pressure on 24-year old Babar, who somehow had to find a way to remain unbeaten till the end and keep the asking rate down all by himself. It took its toll off the first ball of the 17th over, with Beuran Hendricks forcing him to attempt clearing the longer cow corner boundary, where the fielder completed a simple catch.From that point on, power shifted hands effectively, and it was Pakistan who found themselves struggling to keep up while South Africa simply had to manage the game. Coming back for their second spells, Chris Morris and Andile Phehlukwayo were far better than they had been earlier, compounding the problems for Malik, who in the final over again found himself running out of partners. As he holed out and Imad Wasim had his middle stump knocked back, Pakistan, having surged so promisingly, ran out of partners, their unblemished record since the World T20 finally tainted.South Africa had been put in to bat early on with Malik fearing the weather would play a big role, while Miller in sharp contrast said he would only focus on his own performance, given they couldn’t control the weather. Rassie van der Dussen’s 40 off 27 allowed Miller to come in at a time when he could play his free-flowing game. While the weather was out of Miller’s control, he struck a six just before the rain break, following up with another four after. The weather might have had its say, but ultimately, it was the South African captain who truly had full control.