Raza 2.0 gives Zimbabwe party to remember

Not qualifying for the 2024 T20 World Cup was no doubt a downer, but Zimbabwe, at least for now, seem to have put the doom and gloom behind them

Deivarayan Muthu06-Jul-2024Castle Corner, the epicentre of home support at the Harare Sports Club, was buzzing. Sikandar Raza had just pumped Avesh Khan for a straight six. India’s spinners silenced the crowd for a while, before they found their voice again when Raza, the bowler, was front and centre of Zimbabwe’s successful defence of 115.After the fast bowlers had made early inroads, India’s new T20I captain Shubman Gill stood between Zimbabwe and a famous win. Raza had delayed his introduction into the attack until India had a left-hander in Washington Sundar at the crease in the 11th over. But he had to deal with Gill first. Gill lined up Raza’s first ball and short-arm pulled it away in signature style to the square-leg boundary. Raza responded with a fizzing carrom ball that burst through the defences of Gill and knocked back the off stump.Gill and India were stunned. Raza roared. The Harare Sports Club roared with him. They knew that their captain was onto something, and that something was Zimbabwe beating India for the first time across formats in over eight years.ESPNcricinfo LtdRaza was part of the team that had toppled MS Dhoni and Co. at this very venue back in 2016, but he had no memories of that T20I. Tino Mawoyo, the former Zimbabwe opener, had to remind Raza about it after announcing him as the Player of the Match.Raza had bowled only three overs in that game eight years ago. At the time, he was a regular offspinner who would turn the ball into right-handers and away from left-handers. But with T20 cricket becoming an increasingly hostile environment to regular offspinners, Raza, like R Ashwin, has expanded his repertoire to become an all-sorts spinner. Raza 2.0 can bowl offbreaks, legbreaks, carrom balls and swinging arm balls.

You can’t pick him out of the hand either as Raza hides the ball behind his back, like Sunil Narine, before he delivers. Narine had played a role in the transformation of Raza when the pair worked closely as part of Trinbago Knight Riders’ unbeaten run to the CPL title in 2020.All of Raza’s trickery was on display on a slow, grippy Harare pitch. Gill was caught off guard by the carrom ball. Ravi Bishnoi was pinned lbw by a seam-up ball that veered in. Mukesh Kumar was castled by a turning offbreak. Raza’s spell of 4-0-25-3 put Harare into party mode.”Yeah, we discussed that in the changing room as well and we said: ‘listen, the fans are going to be there and lift us up’. So, make sure we use that energy and bring that to our game as well, whether batting, bowling or fielding and credit to the fans as well,” Raza said after the match. “They didn’t let us down, the energy was up and the vibe was up and they kept us going.”

“We had our plans and the good thing is that we stuck to it and we backed those guys to bowl those particular overs. I thought what was really amazing was our catching and ground fielding”Raza reflects on a famous win

The crowd also seemingly roused the fielders to produce some outstanding catches and saves under pressure. Like Blessing Muzabarani’s tumbling catch from short fine leg that dismissed Washington and secured Zimbabwe’s victory. Like Johnathan Campbell’s sprawling dive at deep cover in the final over to save four.”Yeah, it [115] wasn’t [enough] but I said I don’t care about the result but as long as we go out there and prove to the crowd and changing room that we’re up for the fight,” Raza said. “What happens after that will look after itself but we want to make sure this is a fight and the opposition doesn’t blow us away. We had our plans and the good thing is that we stuck to it and we backed those guys to bowl those particular overs. I thought what was really amazing was our catching and ground fielding.”Related

  • India look to hit their stride as reinforcements arrive

  • Stats – Raza closes in on Kohli as Zimbabwe end India's dream run

  • Gill: 'Everybody looked a bit rusty'

  • Chatara and Raza star as Zimbabwe stun India in low-scorer

It was all doom and gloom for Zimbabwe after they failed to qualify for the 2024 T20 World Cup following a shock defeat to Uganda in Windhoek in November last year. Dave Houghton stepped down as coach and it was followed by Zimbabwe moving on from the likes of Sean Williams and Craig Ervine.Raza is 38, but the team management continues to trust him to show the new generation the way to the 2026 T20 World Cup. “Certainly feel really happy about the win today. But we got to take one game at a time,” Raza said. “We’re going to enjoy this victory but the job is not done and the series is not over. The world champions will play like world champions; we’ve got to make sure that we keep upping our game and take one game at a time.”If Saturday’s outing is anything to go by, Zimbabwe have put the doom and gloom behind them.

India's batting reshuffle, and a couple of successful comebacks

The major takeaways for India from their T20I series against South Africa in Chennai

Srinidhi Ramanujam10-Jul-2024The shared T20I series at home against South Africa, on the back of the victory in Bangladesh, has given India several positives to think about ahead of two major upcoming tournaments – the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka later in July and the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh this October. Here are the major takeaways from India’s most recent performance:

India’s batting puzzle

Jemimah Rodrigues used to be India’s No.3 in T20Is until her recent back injury gave others an opportunity.Returning to India’s T20I squad after two years, D Hemalatha was promoted to No. 3 in the T20Is in Bangladesh following a successful WPL season. She scored 109 runs in four matches at an impressive strike rate of 141.55. She made only 14 off 17 balls in the first T20I against South Africa, though, and was left out of the next two games because Richa Ghosh was out with concussion and India needed S Sajana’s power-hitting in the middle order. Sajana, however, did get a chance to bat in the series.After the third T20I, India’s vice-captain Smriti Mandhana said playing Hemalatha at No. 3 was a “calculated move”, which means Rodrigues could remain at No. 5, the position she batted at in the first T20I against South Africa. Rodrigues displayed great adaptability down the order, scoring an unbeaten 53 off 30 balls.In this scenario, Sajana is likely to be the back-up – either as No. 3 or as finisher. Similar to Hemalatha, she has a strong bottom-hand game and can attack spin to score quickly. Both of them also offer the team an over or two of offspin.All this leaves Yastika Bhatia in limbo. She was the No. 3 in the first T20I in Bangladesh, and scored 36 off 29 balls, before a niggle ruled her out of the rest of the series, giving Hemalatha her opportunity. The seriousness of Bhatia’s injury is unknown but if she recovers in time for the T20 World Cup, she might be picked as a back-up keeper to Ghosh and not necessarily be in the starting XI.In such a scenario, Mandhana may be the only left-hand batter in the top six.Shreyanka Patil is one of two candidates for the third spinner’s spot•BCCI

Third spinner – Asha or Shreyanka?

Left-arm spinner Radha Yadav’s recent rise means she and offspinner Deepti Sharma are India’s first two choices in the spin department. She played all eight T20Is since her return in Bangladesh, taking 16 wickets with an economy of 5.86 per over. Her 3 for 6 helped India level the T20I series against South Africa in Chennai.Radha’s performance has left legspinner Asha Sobhana and offspinner Shreyanka Patil competing for the third spinner’s spot. Patil played five out of eight games in the last two series and Asha three. In the T20Is against South Africa, Patil took 1 for 19 and 1 for 37 in her two appearances, while Asha had figures of 0 for 39 in her only game. India could pick just one of them for the two major tournaments, based on whether they want Patil’s batting depth or a wristspinner depending on the opposition’s strengths and weaknesses.

Reddy’s successful return

Allrounder Arundhati Reddy made a promising return to T20Is and is shaping up as a reliable third-seamer option after Pooja Vastrakar and Renuka Singh. Coming back stronger and calmer after three years, Reddy was expensive in the washed-out second T20I against South Africa when Renuka was rested. However, she rectified her line and length to bounce back with 1 for 14 in three overs to help India level the series. Her excellent fielding makes her a compelling all-round package.

India’s fielding in the spotlight

“Fielding and fitness are the cornerstone.” Amol Muzumdar has emphasized the importance of these two aspects since taking over as India’s head coach last October. They started poorly against South Africa, dropping four catches in the first T20I. However, they improved in the next two games, taking 11 catches and dropping two. As they gear up for two global events in the next couple of months, this is one discipline to watch out for.

Queensland savour Sheffield Shield finale free of Newlands cloud

Title celebrations three years ago were interrupted by two players being whisked away for Australia duty amid a crisis

Daniel Brettig14-Apr-2021Usman Khawaja was a world away the last time Queensland hosted the Sheffield Shield final – and had their stride to the title rudely interrupted by the Newlands scandal.In the last week of March, 2018, Khawaja was part of the Australian team pilloried for egregious ball tampering and an even worse cover-up in South Africa, leaving a young deputy Jimmy Peirson to lift the Shield and then see Matt Renshaw and Joe Burns spirited away to fly across the Indian Ocean as replacement players for the banned Cameron Bancroft, David Warner and Steven Smith.It’s an experience that Peirson remembers vividly as taking sizeable gloss off what is usually the most glittering prize in Australian domestic cricket. “It was day three of the game when that [scandal] broke and we were just in shock, we didn’t understand what was going on or how big it would get,” he told ESPNcricinfo this week. “Then by the end of that game we had guys literally pulled out of our team song to go ‘mate, pack your bags, you’re going to South Africa’ – Matty Renshaw and Joe Burns, they went over and played.”So we very quickly went from winning the Shield and the euphoria of that to having them go over there to deal with what was happening. It was a bittersweet moment, we wanted to celebrate our achievement with those guys, but it was also very satisfying to see them go, although the circumstances weren’t fantastic. It’s certainly burned into my memory, that weird feeling in Australian cricket as a whole at that time.”Related

  • How is a drawn Sheffield Shield final decided?

  • Route to the Sheffield Shield final

  • Swepson emulating Warne and challenging Lyon

  • New South Wales out to prove depth of youthful batting in Sheffield Shield final

Three summers and one pandemic later, Peirson is happy to have handed the captaincy back to Khawaja, who in the wake of being discarded by the national team has proven himself a thoughtful and astute – both strategically and tactically – leader of the Bulls.”He’s quite calm, whereas I’m not so calm in some situations so he’s a great factor for us and someone I’ve learned a lot from,” Peirson said. “I really appreciate that he’s using me more in terms of tactically coming to me and asking for my opinion on things, which is helping me to develop in my tactical role in the side, and I’m really enjoying working with him.”When Usman went away [in 2018] and I was given the captaincy, it was something I was completely shocked by. I was taken off-guard and I actually considered not taking it on, because I didn’t feel like I was ready. But I’m glad I took it on, I learned so much and I was lucky that year was similar to this year where we had very few injuries and the same bowling attack for the whole season with our guys hitting their straps.”I was very lucky that the team ran itself and I didn’t have to make any massive calls. I had guys like Joe Burns there the whole year who really helped guide me in some of the decision-making. So I was making it up as I went and I was really lucky we managed to win the Shield that year.”One area in which Khawaja has shown himself adept as a leader is in helping to change attitudes about spin bowling. He recalled a pointed conversation with the state coach Wade Seccombe that helped turn Mitchell Swepson from a week-to-week selection proposition to a fixture in the team and now a genuine challenger to Nathan Lyon’s spin supremacy.”I think it was a line in the sand last year,” Khawaja said. “I remember talking to ‘Chuck’, Wade Seccombe, my coach about it. We were at the Gabba and we were umming and ahing whether to play Swepson.Will it be Kurtis Patterson or Usman Khawaja holding the Sheffield Shield?•Getty Images

“It was probably the third game and I said, ‘look, Australia has Nathan Lyon and they’re playing at the Gabba.’ And he said, ‘yes.’ So I said, ‘well we’ve got to play Swepo every single game. If they’re playing the best spinner, why aren’t we playing our best spinner?’ I think that was the line in the sand and since then we’ve always picked him.”At the same time, Khawaja has been driving towards a title that has personally eluded him. He played for New South Wales in the 2011 Shield final on the losing side, and spoke passionately in his opposition to the new system that no longer awards the competition to the top team in the event of a draw.”They talked about taking out the Shield final – I love the Shield final, I think it should be there, but I think the team that comes first should have that little bit of advantage that you have to beat them [outright],” he said. “Because a team could come first by 15 points and they’re clearly the best team in the competition. They should have a massive advantage. It’s not like a BBL tournament where you’re playing one day at a time, it’s four days at a time and takes a lot to win a red-ball game. Ten games, it takes a lot to get there.”That passion, Khawaja noted, was a byproduct of how much interest he has felt about the Shield in his adopted state. Queensland, famously, did not win their first Shield title until 1995, spawning a sense of overdue reward that has added to the level of interest retained in a competition that is often reduced in status to that of “research and development”.Queensland celebrate with the Sheffield Shield in 2018•Getty Images

“I’ve got people from Mackay, Townsville, random people coming up to me and going ‘good luck with the Shield’, you realise how big Queensland is and you realise how much people care about the Shield, especially when it comes to country towns in Queensland,” Khawaja said. “First and foremost we have a lot of support here and it’d be really nice to win a Shield, because to me it seems a lot of people still care about it, particularly in the country areas of Queensland.”Queensland’s a big state, there’s a lot of people living in the country areas, and so is New South Wales to an extent, but I think when you first move up to Queensland, you know how much Queensland love their sport, but you don’t realise how much until you come up here. Now I’m a Queenslander, as I say to my wife I bleed maroon, I love it up here, it’s my home. We love our sport and we want to win whether it’s in footy, in anything, particularly cricket.”It’s good to see, in a world so BBL-dominated, that there are still so many people who love the Shield game. That’s the biggest thing for me.”Peirson, too, is eager to reclaim the Shield, as much because the last one disappeared in a Newlands-heightened blur as anything else. “It all went by so fast,” he said. “I told the guys that I really want to enjoy this week and enjoy a Shield final. Plenty of guys haven’t played one and plenty of guys haven’t won one.”

Farke can replace James by unleashing "electric" 19-year-old Leeds talent

Leeds United have been hit with an injury blow ahead of their clash with Tottenham Hotspur at Elland Road in the Premier League on Saturday.

Wales international Daniel James has suffered an ankle injury that is currently being assessed by the club, although they are hopeful that it will not be a long-term issue.

Journalist Graham Smyth claims that the forward is set for “weeks” on the sidelines, debunking some speculation on social media that he was due to be out for months with an ACL injury.

If James misses several weeks and games through injury with this ankle issue, Daniel Farke should avoid relying on Jack Harrison as an alternative to Brenden Aaronson on the right flank.

Why Jack Harrison should not replace Dan James

The left-footed attacker returned to Elland Road this summer after spending the previous two seasons on loan with Everton in the Premier League, and he has yet to fully win the fans back over.

Harrison has produced no goals, no key passes, no ‘big chances’ created, and no assists in five appearances in the top-flight for Leeds so far this term, per Sofascore, which shows that he has offered virtually nothing at the top end of the pitch.

That should not come as a surprise to many, though, because the former Manchester City academy prospect struggled badly in the final third for Everton in the 2024/25 campaign.

24/25 Premier League

Jack Harrison

Appearances

34

Starts

24

Minutes

2088

xG

3.52

Goals

1

Key passes

34

Assists

0

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Harrison managed one direct goal contribution in 2,088 minutes of football in the Premier League for the Toffees before his return to West Yorkshire.

This is why Farke should turn to U21 talent Connor Douglas to replace James in the squad whilst the Wales international is missing through injury.

Why Leeds should unleash Connor Douglas

The 19-year-old attacker is a versatile star who can play through the middle as a number ten or out on the right flank, which suggests that he could be a suitable alternative to Aaronson in the short-term, given that the American is a similarly versatile wide option.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

Douglas’ form for Leeds at academy level suggests that he is an exciting young player who has the potential to make an impact at the top end of the pitch, after he scored in a 1-0 win over Norwich City’s U21s on Monday night.

The English winger has scored six goals and provided six assists in 36 appearances for the club at U21 level, as well as six goals and three assists in 27 matches for the U18 side, per Transfermarkt.

These statistics show that he can contribute with goals and assists from a wide position, something that Harrison has struggled to do, and that is why he should be given a chance to see what he can do at first-team level whilst James is out with an ankle injury.

Douglas was described as an “electric” forward who is a “joy to watch” by PureFootball writer Trent Gaffney, which also suggests that he could get supporters off their feet with his front-footed and direct play.

Fans may prefer to see a talented young forward given an opportunity to shine and showcase his exciting potential in James’ absence, instead of Harrison being given yet another chance after failing to impress in the last 13 months or so.

Leeds have found their new Phillips in "unbelievable" star & it's not Stach

Leeds United may have found their new Kalvin Phillips and it is not Anton Stach.

By
Dan Emery

Sep 29, 2025

That is why Farke must unleash Douglas as the replacement for James in the Premier League, for however many matches he misses, instead of just using Harrison.

Gaikwad to continue leading CSK in IPL 2026

Samson, who was traded in, is understood to open the innings for the team

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Nov-20256:53

Samson-Mhatre CSK’s new opening pair?

Ruturaj Gaikwad will continue to be Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) captain for IPL 2026. In a social-media post, the franchise wrote, “Lead the way, captain Ruturaj Gaikwad,” ending the speculations that Sanju Samson could be the captain.CSK had traded in Samson from Rajasthan Royals in exchange for Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran. He comes with plenty of captaincy experience in the IPL but will not lead the franchise. It is understood, though, that he will open the innings.

Gaikwad had taken over the captaincy from MS Dhoni at the start of IPL 2024. CSK, who had won the IPL 2023, finished fifth in 2024 and tenth in 2025.Apart from Jadeja and Curran, CSK also released Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra and Matheesha Pathirana among others. Going into the auction, they have a purse of INR 43.40 crore and a maximum of eight vacancies, including four overseas slots.At the auction, scheduled for December 16 at Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Arena, they are likely to target an overseas allrounder to replace Curran. They have the purse to go hammer and tongs for Andre Russell, Glenn Maxwell, Liam Livingstone or Cameron Green. They will also look to sign a back-up for Nathan Ellis.

Harshit Rana: Rohit and Kohli are 'always motivated'

Harshit Rana has played 16 matches for India. In nine of them, he has shared the dressing room with Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. The 23-year-old fast bowler, still making his way towards being a first-choice pick, praised the influence of the two senior players and highlighted India’s team environment as “very happy.””It is a big thing for me, and for the entire team too,” Rana said on the eve of the second ODI against South Africa, on Tuesday. “If such experienced players are with you in the dressing room and on the field, the environment stays great. At this time, off the field – even dressing room – it is a happy environment for the entire team. Everyone wants to be better. In their minds, they always want youngsters to get better. When I am bowling, for example, they always tell me how to bowl better. When a player gets such a great team environment, things automatically go well.”They are always motivated – whether it is good times or bad times. They back you and tell you what next steps you should take. As a youngster, this really helps you, because when you are on the field – in a pressure situation – they help you out a lot.”Related

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Harshit broke into the Indian white-ball team as a hustle-and-bustle seam bowler with excellent slower balls. Those skills mark him out as a middle-overs specialist, but he took on a different role in the first ODI on Sunday when he opened the bowling and picked up two wickets in his first over.”With the new ball, I’ve practiced a lot with Morne [Morkel, the bowling coach], and also talk a lot with Arshdeep [Singh],” Rana said. “He has a lot of experience, and he helps me in practices by telling how I should bowl better.”Fast bowlers have also been able to pose more of a threat this year with the ICC changing the rules of ODI cricket. Though all 50-over matches start with two new balls, at the start of the 35th over, the bowling team gets to decide which one they’ll keep for the rest of the innings.”You know that the bowlers don’t get as much help in today’s cricket,” Rana said. “This rule has been very helpful for us, because that one older ball, we always keep in the back of our minds. Whichever ball is older after the 34th [over], we try and focus on that. And about choosing the ball, that all of us do. Whoever feels which ball is older.”In India, bowling is different because the variations are what you have to depend on. In each phase, you have to bowl differently in different roles: sometimes attacking, sometimes defensive.”India may be considering a change in their middle order for Wednesday with Rishabh Pant and Tilak Varma getting a long hit against net bowlers with assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate watching on.

Qual é o salário de Abel Ferreira, técnico do Palmeiras?

MatériaMais Notícias

da fezbet: O técnico Abel Ferreira é um dos maiores ídolos da história do Palmeiras e tem marcado época no futebol brasileiro. Com suas polêmicas e títulos, o comandante português é um dos principais personagens esportivos do país neste momento. E como é de se esperar, ele é também um dos profissionais mais bem pagos do mundo. Segundo o jornal francês L’Equipe, Abel recebe 6,7 milhões de euros (R$ 36,3 milhões) por ano.

RelacionadasPalmeirasPalmeiras perde profissional do departamento de futebol para o FlamengoPalmeiras09/10/2023PalmeirasPalmeiras ainda briga pelo Brasileirão? Olhar do Porco responde!Palmeiras09/10/2023PalmeirasOpinião: ‘O fim do Todos Somos Um no Palmeiras só tem uma culpada’Palmeiras09/10/2023

da brwin: + Veja tabela e classificação do Brasileirão-2023 clicando aqui

Se dividirmos esse valor por mês, o técnico tem um salário de cerca de R$ 3 milhões. No entanto, essa quantia passou a ser recebida por Abel a partir de meados de 2022, quando ele renovou seu contrato até dezembro de 2024. O Alviverde não confirma as cifras apontadas pela publicação francesa.

+ Você quer trabalhar no seu clube do coração? Matricule-se no curso Gestor de Futebol e entenda como!

Durante esse período em que está no Verdão, Abel Ferreira recusou outras propostas ainda mais vantajosas de mercados que não eram atrativos, como alguns campeonatos do Oriente Médio.

Ainda de acordo com o jornal L’Equipe, Abel é o único técnico que atua fora da Europa e consta no ranking de mais bem pagos do planeta.

+ Palmeiras fica perto de receber mais um bônus milionário pelos gols de Endrick

Caso renove seu vínculo com o Palmeiras por mais alguns anos, algo que ainda não foi acordado, certamente esse valor milionário irá aumentar.

Desde novembro de 2020 no Verdão, Abel Ferreira conquistou oito título pelo clube: duas Libertadores (2020 e 2021), um Brasileirão (2022), uma Copa do Brasil (2020), dois Paulistas (2022 e 2023), uma Supercopa do Brasil (2023) e uma Recopa Sul-Americana (2022).

Imagine him & Mitchell: Crystal Palace must now unleash "exceptional" ace

Heading into game week 25 of the Premier League campaign, Crystal Palace currently sit 12th in the table, just four points off of a top-half spot.

They have managed to drag themselves away from a relegation battle, now sitting 13 points ahead of 18th-place Leicester City.

The Eagles are averaging some of the worst attacking numbers in the league. But, on the flip side, their defensive shape and quality are their biggest asset right now under Oliver Glasner, conceding 30 goals in 24 games and averaging 13.1 shots against them per game (ranking 10th in the league for this metric).

Crystal Palace face Everton at Selhurst Park in their next Premier League fixture, who currently sit 15th in the league, but are coming off of a very strong string of results, beating Tottenham, Brighton and Leicester in the league and drawing 2-2 with Liverpool.

Crystal Palace team news

Glasner will remain without Joel Ward (calf injury), Chadi Riad (knee injury) and Cheick Doucoure (knee injury) heading into the Everton game this weekend. Doucoure will now need to undergo surgery on his knee, which means he will miss the entirety of this season.

The likes of Eberechi Eze, Eddie Nketiah and Ismaila Sarr are all being assessed ahead of the Toffees game, with the first two currently having knocks/slight injuries and the latter having missed the last match due to illness.

Luckily for the Eagles, Adam Wharton has made his return to action in recent weeks, just in time to take over in midfield from Doucoure, which will give Palace a strong boost.

But after making some new signings in January, and the few injuries they have picked up, Glasner could look to change things up against Everton, adding a new dynamic to his side.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Crystal Palace's new dynamic against Everton

Crystal Palace could look to line up with both new signing Ben Chilwell and academy graduate, Tyrick Mitchell for the first time against Everton, finding a strong balance of attacking output and defensive stability on that left-hand side.

Goals + Assists

0.43

0.11

Progressive Carries

2.35

1.94

Progressive Passes

2.59

2.07

Shots Total

2.23

0.36

xG

0.16

0.03

Key Passes

1.73

1.29

Shot-Creating Actions

2.84

2.28

Tackles

1.85

2.67

Blocks

1.11

2.20

Interceptions

0.74

0.29

When you look at Chilwell’s underlying numbers from his last season under Thomas Tuchel in a back three system which allowed him to play as a wing-back, you can see the value he provides from that position, getting forward, getting shots off, attacking the box and being a threat on goal. In that sense, he could well be a better option for Glasner.

However, that doesn’t mean that Mitchell should miss out. Instead, it means the current incumbent of the left-back role could operate in a slightly unfamiliar left centre-back role in a back five/back three.

This would allow him to still defend in similar left-sided wide areas and add some protection behind the likes of Chilwell and Eze on that side, if/when their talisman is available.

Ex-Chelsea boss, Mauricio Pochettino praised Chilwell as “one of the best” left-backs in the world at his best, while Brendan Rodgers labelled him as “exceptional”, and if Glasner can get that level out of him, it would play a huge part in Palace’s bid for a second top-half finish in a row.

Crystal Palace have hit gold on Eagles star who's worth more than Chilwell

Crystal Palace now have two amazing options at left-back.

ByConnor Holden Feb 9, 2025

'It's just a story in the paper' – USMNT left back Antonee Robinson addresses Liverpool transfer speculation as talk of Fulham summer exit heats up

Robinson, a standout for Fulham and the USMNT, insisted that he isn't thinking about a summer move

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

  • Antonee Robinson quashed rumors of a summer transfer
  • Has been linked with a move to Liverpool
  • Has 10 assists in Premier League this season
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  • WHAT HAPPENED?

    Antonee Robinson insisted that a move away from Fulham isn't on his mind, despite speculation that he could leave the club this summer. Robinson has been a standout for Fulham this season in their unlikely European push, and has been named among the best full backs in the Premier League.

    There have been long-term links with Liverpool, while Manchester United are among reported contenders for his signature.

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  • THE BIGGER PICTURE

    Robinson, 27, has been a journeyman for most of his footballing career, but has settled under Marco Silva at Fulham. His 10 Premier League assists this season has him within touching distance of the 13 set by Trent Alexander-Arnold in the 2019-20 campaign.

  • WHAT ROBINSON SAID

    Robinson addressed his future in an interview with : "I've been in the game long enough now to kind of know you have to block out the outside noise and things like that because I've been on the end of it when I've not been playing well. I saw criticism when I was younger, seeing people doubting me and things.

    "So I know that there's two sides to the coin. You just have to take everything with a grain of salt. You have to believe in yourself and when things are going bad, focus on yourself, and when things are going good, focus on keeping going.

    "So, transfer rumors and stuff like that, I try not to look at. Especially like with the Liverpool one – all my friends and family are from Liverpool, so it's more of them messaging me than me seeing newspaper stuff. And I have to say, 'Look, it's just, just a story in the paper and anyone who's doing well is going to get linked to a team.' "

  • Getty Images

    WHAT NEXT FOR ROBINSON?

    The left back was named in the USMNT squad for their upcoming Nations League finals fixture against Panama on March 20. Before that, he is set to feature for Fulham as they host struggling Tottenham on Sunday.

Not Dibling: Moyes must replace Dewsbury-Hall with "special" Everton star

da premier bet: Crystal Palace beat Liverpool last weekend to extend their unbeaten run under Oliver Glasner to 18 matches. They have since won in Europe, making it 19 without defeat.

da luck: Now, Everton must down the Eagles at the Hill Dickinson Stadium. David Moyes’ side have come on leaps and bounds in 2025, but are three games without a win in the Premier League and have conceded a joint-divisional best three goals so far.

The Toffees will need to be better in the final third, with Beto flattering to deceive at number nine so far this year. The frontman needs to strike true, but he also needs those around him to bring their A-game.

Sadly, among the Everton stars won’t be Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who is suspended after picking up five yellow cards from his first six Premier League matches for the Merseysiders.

Dewsbury-Hall misses out for Everton

Everton signed Dewsbury-Hall from Chelsea for £25m this summer, adding to Moyes’ ranks a versatile midfielder with creative quality and an industrious approach.

Having played every minute of Everton’s Premier League campaign so far, Dewsbury-Hall has averaged 2.2 key passes and 5.3 successful duels per game, as per Sofascore, effective as the forward point of his side’s midfield triangle.

But now he will be absent. Perhaps a combative player, but Dewsbury-Hall has not committed five yellow-worthy offences this term. The 27-year-old has himself commented on the “mind-boggling” calls.

It is not controversial to suggest Dewsbury-Hall might have been hard done by with some of the decisions against him, and now he sits out for a crucial top-flight tie.

Who slots into the central berth? Some might call for Tyler Dibling to get the nod for the first time since joining from Southampton for £42m in the summer, but there’s another rising star who might be better suited to the task ahead. After all, Charly Alcaraz has starred against Glasner’s Palace before.

Moyes must unleash Charly Alcaraz

Alcaraz, 22, returned to the Premier League in January, signing for Everton on loan, having previously plied his youthful trade on the south coast with Southampton.

That loan move has since been sealed on a permanent basis, and Alcaraz brings a tenacious and dynamic package, offering shades of Dewsbury-Hall through his ball-carrying ability and tough-tackling defensive work rate.

However, he’s yet to nail down a starting berth in the Premier League. This season, the Argentine has featured four times and started one of those fixtures, equating to 32 minutes of action per appearance.

But there’s a lot to like, with his cleanness on the ball sure to see him play the role Dewsbury-Hall has performed so confidently over the past few months.

Everton – Most Successful Dribblers (24/25)

Player

Dribbles per game

Success rate

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall

1.0

100%

Charly Alcaraz

0.8

100%

Michael Keane

0.2

100%

Iliman Ndiaye

3.0

56%

Jack Grealish

1.5

41%

Data via Sofascore

Moreover, he ranks among the top 12% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for dribblers challenged and the top 5% for aerial battles won per 90, as per FBref, speaking of a completeness that Dibling does not yet own.

Palace are well-oiled and in full command of their tactical identity. They defend as a unit, and they attack as a hive. Dewsbury-Hall is needed, but Moyes does not have his services to draw upon, and so Alcaraz must be unleashed.

Evertonmanager David Moyes withEverton's CarlosAlcaraz

The “special” talent, as he was called by youth scout Antonio Mango back in 2023, also scored on his full Premier League debut in an Everton shirt, and that was at Selhurst Park against Crystal Palace.

It was the conclusive goal in a 2-1 win, and Alcaraz created two big chances besides and made three clearances, producing the kind of performance that will be needed on Sunday afternoon.

With Dewsbury-Hall sidelined until after the international break, Moyes must showcase his side’s strength in depth and allow Alcaraz the chance to prove his worth in a team looking to make headway in the Premier League.

Moyes must ditch £56m Everton duo who have been holding Grealish back

Moyes’ Everton have made improvements but there are some stars who need to be dropped.

ByAngus Sinclair Oct 2, 2025

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