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Kolkata Knight Riders and Rising Pune Supergiant are both enjoying strong runs of form and have their sights set on finishing the league stage in the top two

The Preview by Karthik Krishnaswamy02-May-2017

Match facts

Kolkata Knight Riders v Rising Pune Supergiant
Kolkata, May 3, 2017
Start time 2000 local (1430 GMT)4:20

Bangar: Pune’s improved bowling effort showing on the points table

Form guide

• Kolkata Knight Riders (second): lost to Sunrisers by 48 runs, defeated Daredevils by seven wickets, defeated Rising Pune by seven wickets.

• Rising Pune Supergiant (fourth): defeated Lions by five wickets, defeated Royal Challengers by 61 runs, lost to Knight Riders by seven wickets.

Head-to-head

This season: Robin Uthappa’s 47-ball 87 helped Knight Riders hunt down a target of 183 with 11 balls remaining at the MCA Stadium in Pune.Overall: Knight Riders have chased and won in each of their three matches against Rising Pune.

In the news

Lynn, who has been out of action since dislocating his left shoulder while fielding against Mumbai Indians on April 9, trained with the Knight Riders squad on Tuesday. He hopes to return before the playoffs, Lynn told , possibly against Kings XI Punjab on May 9 or against Mumbai on May 13.Shakib Al Hasan has only played once for Knight Riders this season, and the match against Rising Pune is likely to be his last chance for game-time: he is set to leave the tournament on Thursday to join Bangladesh’s training camp in Sussex ahead of a triangular ODI series in Ireland, which also involves New Zealand.Knight Riders are on 14 points and Rising Pune on 12. The team that wins this clash will fancy a top-two finish, and two shots at a spot in the final.

The likely XIs

Kolkata Knight Riders: 1 Sunil Narine, 2 Gautam Gambhir (capt), 3 Robin Uthappa (wk), 4 Manish Pandey, 5 Yusuf Pathan, 6 Sheldon Jackson, 7 Colin de Grandhomme/Shakib Al Hasan, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Nathan Coulter-Nile, 10 Umesh Yadav, 11 Kuldeep Yadav.Rising Pune Supergiant: 1 Ajinkya Rahane, 2 Rahul Tripathi, 3 Steven Smith (capt), 4 MS Dhoni (wk), 5 Ben Stokes, 6 Manoj Tiwary, 7 Daniel Christian, 8 Washington Sundar, 9 Jaydev Unadkat, 10 Shardul Thakur, 11 Imran Tahir.

Strategy punt

Rising Pune have scored quicker against pace (8.97 per over) than spin (7.32) this season, and the gap is particularly exaggerated in the case of MS Dhoni, who has scored at 8.15 against pace and 5.28 against spin. Knight Riders have tended to go with pace-dominated attacks this season, especially at Eden Gardens, which has provided an unusual amount of seam movement and bounce. But given their opposition, and Dhoni in particular, they might think of a spin-for-seam swap in the allrounder department, with Shakib Al Hasan coming in for Colin de Grandhomme.

Stats that matter

• Rising Pune lost three of their first four matches of the tournament, and have won five out of six since then. Their rise has coincided with a marked improvement in their bowling. In their first four games, their bowlers averaged 38.15, gave away 9.41 an over, and conceded a boundary every 4.76 balls. In the period since then, they have topped the tournament in terms of average (21.61) and economy rate (7.69), while only conceding a boundary every 6.68 balls.
• They have become better both in the first six overs – their economy rate has dropped from 10.00 to 7.50 – and in the last five – 13.00 to 8.03.
• The inclusion of Jaydev Unadkat has made a difference to their bowling in both these critical phases. In Pune’s last six matches, the left-arm quick has a Powerplay economy rate of 7.80 and an economy rate of 7.92 in the last five overs. He has been helped by Washington Sundar in the first six overs (6.37) and Daniel Christian in the last five (6.66)
• MS Dhoni has had a difficult time against Sunil Narine in T20s, scoring only 29 off 58 balls, while being dismissed once.
• Chris Woakes has been Knight Riders’ joint-highest wicket-taker this season with 11, but his wickets have come at a price. His economy rate of 9.65 is the second worst among all bowlers who have bowled 20 or more overs this season, with only Lasith Malinga proving more expensive.

The pitch used for the first Test between India and Australia in Pune has been given a “poor” rating by the ICC match referee Chris Broad

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Feb-20171:04

Chappell: Such pitches provide variety to Test cricket

The pitch used for the first Test between India and Australia in Pune has been given a “poor” rating by the ICC match referee Chris Broad.Australia won the Test match, which ended in the post-tea session of day three, by 333 runs, bowling India out for 105 and 107. India’s match total of 212 runs was their lowest in a home Test in which they had lost all 20 wickets. Spinners accounted for 31 of the 40 wickets that fell during the Test.According to the ICC’s pitch and outfield monitoring process, a pitch is said to be poor if any of the following apply:

• The pitch offers excessive seam movement at any stage of the match
• The pitch displays excessive unevenness of bounce for any bowler at any stage of the match
• The pitch offers excessive assistance to spin bowlers, especially early in the match
• The pitch displays little or no seam movement or turn at any stage in the match together with no significant bounce or carry, thereby depriving the bowlers of a fair contest between bat and ball

In accordance with Clause 3 of the ICC Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process, Broad submitted his report to the ICC, expressing concern over the quality of the pitch. The ICC has forwarded the match referee’s report to the BCCI, which now has 14 days to respond.

What they said about the Pune pitch

“I don’t think it was any different from the turners that we played in the past. We just didn’t play good cricket.”

“I think it was certainly a wicket that would more likely suit the Indian players. I think it evened up the contest a lot more.”

“There were small cracks running all through the surface (smaller cracks tend to open up faster than the big blocks), the topsoil was so loose that the first time it met the spikes underneath the players’ shoes, it started peeling off, and the surface felt abrasive on the touch.”

“It was dry, it had cracks but this was the first time I saw on an Indian turning pitch that fragments of the pitch, little bits on the top of the pitch, were missing before the first ball was bowled”

“I don’t think you could call it a good cricket pitch but sometimes I have seen these pitches produce exciting games. I wouldn’t like to see one of these for every Test but every now and then they provide a bit of variety”

Geoff Allardice, the ICC’s General Manager – Cricket, and Ranjan Madugalle, ICC’s chief referee, will review the BCCI’s response and study footage from the match, before ruling on whether or not the pitch was substandard.The penalty for a pitch that is ruled substandard for the first time – as would be the case for Pune, which was hosting its first ever Test match – is “[a] warning and / or a fine not exceeding USD 15,000 given together with a directive for appropriate corrective action”, according to Clause 4 of the ICC Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process.Indian pitches have been under the ICC scanner for a while. In December 2015, the Nagpur pitch was rated poor by the ICC match referee Jeff Crowe after India had defeated South Africa inside three days.Earlier this month, the ICC chief executives committee, backed by the ICC board, decided to punish severely venues that presented substandard pitches. A system of imposing demerit points against each venue was proposed by the Chief Executives Committee. The proposal will be ratified at the ICC annual conference in June and subsequently, the news rules will take effect.”It was agreed that a system of demerit points be introduced, similar to the new Code of Conduct system. Demerit points will remain active for a rolling five-year period. When a venue accumulates 5 demerit points, its ICC accreditation will be suspended for a period of 12 months. Should a venue reach 10 points, its accreditation will be suspended for 24 months,” an ICC release said.

Aaron Finch said that Asela Gunaratne, who led Sri Lanka to a last-ball win in Geelong, was a particularly difficult batsman to defend against due to his ability to strike boundaries to any part of the ground

Brydon Coverdale in Geelong19-Feb-2017Sixteen off the last over would be a daunting enough challenge for any batsman in a Twenty20 chase. Sixteen an over for the final three overs is something else entirely. And yet Australia’s captain, Aaron Finch, said he felt that while Asela Gunaratne remained at the crease, Sri Lanka still had a chance of achieving their goal, an assessment that turned out to be accurate, to the delight of thousands of Sri Lankan fans at Geelong’s Kardinia Oval.Gunaratne took 12 off James Faulkner, then 22 off Moises Henriques, and the 14 that Sri Lanka then needed off the final over from Andrew Tye were completed when Gunaratne crunched the last ball over cover for four. Finch said Gunaratne, who had also scored a half-century in Sri Lanka’s successful chase at the MCG on Friday, was a particularly difficult batsman to defend against due to his ability to strike boundaries to any part of the ground.”The plan was pace off and wide,” Finch said. “If he wanted to go to the short boundary over the leg side, make him really fetch it with no pace on the ball. Geez, he hit some clean, didn’t he? He played a hell of an innings. That’s as good a striking as you’ll see. For a guy to be able to hit over fine leg and over mid-off, they’re pretty rare skills to be able to do both, and he hasn’t mis-hit a ball in two games now.Asela Gunaratne struck with bat and ball against Australia in Geelong•Getty Images

“With the dimensions of the ground, with an in-batter who was hitting them so clean, you know that you still have to execute. I felt all along that we had to get him out to win, or get him off strike a little bit more. We struggled to do that for the last three overs. We couldn’t seem to bowl enough balls at [Nuwan] Kulasekara and then [Lasith] Malinga. But when you’ve got a guy who’s in like that, it’s so hard to defend. The way our bowlers bowled up front and then through the middle was top-drawer.”Nearly 14,000 spectators turned out to the match, which was the first international ever played in Geelong, and a good proportion of those were Sri Lankan supporters. For almost two hours after the match ended, several hundred of those Sri Lankan fans celebrated outside the ground on Moorabool Street, with trumpets blaring as they waited for the Sri Lankan players to emerge on their way to the team bus.Although the result was a disappointing one for Australia, Finch said he was pleased with the way Geelong supported Kardinia Oval’s international debut. Crowd numbers might have been higher if it weren’t for heavy rain earlier in the day, which affected the women’s T20I between Australia and New Zealand that preceded the men’s match.”Being about minus seven degrees doesn’t help,” Finch joked, “and it was bucketing down with rain all day. But the crowd was still fantastic. The surface, after so much of a downpour, was unbelievable, the wicket played really well. No bigger test than the weather that Geelong had over the last couple of days. To be able to produce a world-class venue like that was unbelievable.”

After 'El Mago' announced his retirement from football, GOAL looks back on the best moments of his magical decade at the Etihad Stadium

David Silva's wondrous career has come to a sad end due to a devastating knee injury, forcing the Spaniard to retire a year ahead of schedule. He bids farewell to the game after a storybook career which saw him lift countless trophies, including a European Championship and a World Cup.

Manchester City were lucky that he spent his best days at the Etihad Stadium, inspiring the Blues to four Premier League titles, two FA Cups and five League Cups. Along with Yaya Toure, Vincent Kompany, Joe Hart and Sergio Aguero, Silva set City on the path to world domination and deservedly has his own statue outside the club's ground.

GOAL looks back at the glorious career of 'El Mago', picking out the top 10 moments of his magical reign in Manchester…

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  10Forgotten yet crucial goal against QPR

  Most people have forgotten that City actually beat QPR 3-2 twice in the title-winning season. The dramatic final day of the season and Aguero's 94th-minute winner has naturally overshadowed the other match, at Loftus Road, but it was no less crucial.

  Silva played a vital role in the comeback victory. With the match finely balanced at 1-1, the Spaniard fired City in front with a touch of class, bringing a cross from Edin Dzeko out of his feet and away from his two markers in the six-yard box before rifling home from close range.

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  9Farewell goal against Bournemouth

  The final few weeks of the 2019-20 season were like a farewell tour for Silva, and the big shame is that City fans were not able to watch his swansong in person due to coronavirus restrictions.

  But he bowed out in typical fashion with an exquisite goal against Bournemouth in the penultimate home game of the season. It was a splendid free-kick, curling over the wall and bouncing off the crossbar into the net to set City on their way to a 2-1 win.

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  8FA Cup final goal at last

  Silva had done almost everything for City apart from make his mark in an FA Cup final. In the 2011 showpiece against Stoke City, he missed a clear chance to score, while the 2013 final was a total disaster as City were beaten by soon-to-be-relegated Wigan Athletic.

  The Spaniard made it third time lucky by firing in City's opening goal in the 2019 final against Watford, though, burying a half-volley after a knockdown by Raheem Sterling in the area.

  The goal set City on their way to a 6-0 hammering, the biggest scoreline in an FA Cup final for 116 years.

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  7Scrappy yet vital goal against Arsenal

  It was far from Silva's best goal but it is among his most important. Not every goal has to be a work of art, sometimes you just need to be in the right place at the right time. And that's what Silva did in a tight match against Arsenal in 2011 to snatch a 1-0 win.

  In a reversal of usual roles, Mario Balotelli weaved his way down the left wing and took on a defender before sending a shot across goal. Wojciech Szczesny parried it into the air, but Silva was there to slide in and knock the ball in from a couple of yards out.

  When City were locked in their breath-taking title race with United later in the season, every point counted, and this scrappy finish was just as crucial in City winning the title as Aguero's strike against QPR.

There are plenty of difficult decisions for Australia’s selectors in naming their squad for the Adelaide Test

Daniel Brettig19-Nov-2016

Underperforming batsmen and an untimely calf flare-up to Steve O’Keefe have complicated matters further for Australia’s interim selection panel on the eve of an especially tense squad announcement for the Adelaide Test.The acting chairman of selectors, Trevor Hohns, is expected to name a 13-man squad for the day/night match on Sunday afternoon, underlining the uncertainty surrounding Australian cricket on the back of five consecutive defeats, and two in a row at home for the first time since the fateful Ashes summer of 2010-11.While the youthful trio of Peter Handscomb, Matt Renshaw and Travis Dean all put their names in lights with centuries, Joe Burns and Callum Ferguson completed double failures in the Sheffield Shield match between Queensland and South Australia at the Gabba to slip further towards the precipice.Of equal concern for the panel is the fact that O’Keefe is believed to have suffered a flaring of an ongoing calf problem on day three of the New South Wales v Victoria encounter at the SCG. He had been favoured to return to the Test XI in place of the incumbent Nathan Lyon, who has struck a horrid wicket drought at the worst possible time.O’Keefe’s injury prognosis may also have a knock-on effect for the wicketkeepers Peter Nevill and Matthew Wade. While the Australians are eager for the lower-order heft that Wade could provide, his inferior glovework, particularly to Lyon, may yet play in Nevill’s favour. A third spin option, Jon Holland, has bowled well for Victoria at the SCG.Another name, not seen in lights for some time, is that of Sam Whiteman, the Western Australia wicketkeeper. A half-century and century against Tasmania at the WACA Ground met yet cause his name, too, to be discussed in the stumpers’ stakes.The elegant New South Wales left-hander Kurtis Patterson did his chances no harm with a well-constructed 55 for his state on Saturday. Patterson and Handscomb would likely slot into the places vacated by Ferguson and the concussed Adam Voges.Renshaw and Dean, two players not considered particularly fashionable in terms of physique or method, both place a high premium on batting time, a quality badly missing in Australia’s recent defeats. Another possible choice, though less likely, is Victoria’s Marcus Harris, who moved from Western Australia at the start of the season to good effect – only Handscomb is ahead of him on the national aggregates.Among the pace bowlers to support Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, the South Australia pair of Chadd Sayers and Daniel Worrall are in the selectors’ thoughts, as is Jackson Bird. Like his fellow Redback Ferguson, Joe Mennie may yet find himself on the outer after only one Test – a further measure of how much things have changed in the course of a single fractious week.Possible squad Steven Smith (capt), Matt Renshaw, David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Kurtis Patterson, Peter Handscomb, Matthew Wade (wk), Steve O’Keefe, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon, Jackson Bird, Daniel Worrall/Chadd Sayers.

Chelsea are expected to hold fresh talks with their main managerial target, Julian Nagelsmann, having recently introduced Frank Lampard as interim boss.

Who will be Chelsea's next manager?

Life under Lampard did not get off to the start in which Todd Boehly would have been hoping for on the weekend after they tasted defeat on the road.

Chelsea travelled to a struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers and they were sent back to west London without any points after Matheus Nunes' goal sealed the win for the hosts.

There have been reports to suggest that Chelsea could potentially consider Lampard as an option for the permanent role if he was to impress until the end of the season.

However, on the back of the display at Molineux, it does feel as if he has an uphill task in the upcoming games in both the Premier League and Champions League.

A number of names have been linked as potential candidates for the vacancy at Stamford Bridge with the former Bayern Munich manager, Nagelsmann, being one of the big names.

And speaking on his Here We Go podcast, Fabrizio Romano has claimed the Blues are expected to hold a fresh round of talks with the 35-year-old over potentially becoming their new boss:

(5:00) "And what I can say is that, from what I understand, also in the last few days, the last few hours Julian Nagelsmann remains 100% open to speaking to Chelsea.

"There will be a new round of talks. So Nagelsmann remains the favourite candidate, from what I understand, to get the Chelsea job."

Should Chelsea hire Nagelsmann?

Nagelsmann's time at Bayern ended in disappointment with the board sacking him in favour of Thomas Tuchel despite being second in the Bundesliga table.

With this in mind, it will be interesting to see if the German would actually be open to working under Boehly given he is an owner who has proven a lot in his short time at the club.

Since arriving last year, Boehly has already made two managerial sackings in Tuchel and Graham Potter which could potentially prove a big red flag for the German boss.

Nagelsmann is a manager who has a lot of admirers across Europe with the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Real Madrid believed to be potential suitors ahead of the summer.

The 35-year-old – hailed a "master tactician" by Sky Sports' Adam Smith – is believed to be open to hearing the Chelsea proposal and their long-term project at Stamford Bridge.

But it will be intriguing to see whether the young manager can be convinced to work under the Chelsea owner on the back of the early issues under his tenure.

Boehly has undoubtedly backed his managers during the transfer windows, however, Nagelsmann may not view those players as what he needs to succeed at Chelsea.

Potter had his issues with trying to manage the huge squad in west London and it could potentially prove an unwanted headache for some managers.

ScorecardAdil Rashid fought back after a disastrous start for Yorkshire•Getty Images

Emboldened a trifle by their side’s position at the top of the Division One table, Lancashire’s travelling supporters had reasons for disquieting optimism as they made their way across the Pennines for the 256th Roses match. “Oh are we bound for glory, borne on a little fortune’s wave?” they might have trilled with the peerless Nancy Kerr, before adding that note of protective pessimism: “Or are we bound for some dark town and some grave northern story?”For well over an hour on the first day of this game it seemed that those loyalists from the Rossendale valley were destined for glory without trammel. Fine new-ball bowling by Kyle Jarvis and sharp slip catching by Karl Brown and Tom Smith had left Yorkshire miserably placed on 29 for 4 in the 14th over and the very limited recovery achieved by Andrew Gale and Adil Rashid was snuffed out half an hour before lunch when a shuffling Gale was lbw to a full length ball from Neil Wagner.This, though, is Yorkshire and they are not champions for nowt. And Headingley is, in the proudest possible way, a ground where they do not like you to forget it, particularly during a Roses match. More significantly, of course, Gale’s team is one which managed to win the 2015 Division One title by 68 points without ever batting at their best. Instead, they perforce relied on a series of spectacular recoveries, and the fact that many of them involved Jonny Bairstow has not blunted Yorkshire’s capacity to fight back. Bairstow may be with England but Yorkshire’s resilience burns wonderfully brightly without him.So it was barely a surprise that Rashid and Tim Bresnan took their side’s total from 74 to 210 before the sixth wicket fell when Rashid drove Simon Kerrigan to Luke Procter at short cover and trooped off 12 short of what would have been his third century against Lancashire. What was even more encouraging was that Rashid and Bresnan’s bristling partnership was followed in the last hour of the day by a fine stand of 75 for the ninth wicket between Steve Patterson, who is 41 not out, and Andrew Hodd, who received his Yorkshire cap early in the day and fell in its last over, when he turned Wagner to Liam Livingstone at backward short leg and departed for 40.Despite that late reverse, the Headingley spectators could return to their homes in Pudsey and Bingley, in Morley and Cleckheaton, knowing that they had seen their team finish the day on even terms. That was a distant summit late in the morning session.Yet this was a splendid day on which Lancashire supporters could also be proud, particularly, perhaps, of Jarvis who finished the day with figures of 4 for 74 and is now the leading wicket-taker in Division One with 28 scalps. Following Tom Bailey’s dismissal of Adam Lyth with the fourth ball of the match, Jarvis took three for 24 in a nine-over spell and there was really not very much either Gary Ballance or Jack Leaning could do about the balls which defeated their defensive shots and took the outside edge. Like Ballance, Alex Lees made nought and he may look back on his loose shot outside the off stump with rather less phlegm.The afternoon session was the property of Rashid and Bresnan, who added 107 in 34 overs during which they drew the sting of Lancashire’s attack, a particularly fine achievement on a pitch offering uneven bounce. Wagner tried to compensate for his lack of impact with an overuse of the bouncer and he looks so much less formidable a customer when his bumpers become outlets for frustration rather than targeted weapons. The Yorkshire crowd enjoyed it all hugely, of course, and offered frank assessments, not all of them complimentary, of the South African’s capabilities.Rashid, compact and skilful, drove and cut effectively; Bresnan launched his bat like a mighty scramasax at anything overpitched. Yorkshire fought their way out of trouble and the conversations among spectators reflected contentment. “Do we still spell it Maurice Leyland even though it’s Morris on his birth certificate?” asked someone. This is a county where they are putting up blue plaques to commemorate the birthplaces of their great cricketers. They will remember Rashid and Bresnan’s stand, too, especially, maybe, because it provoked such impotent wrath in Wagner. Every religion, especially a secular one, perhaps, needs its little devils.Lancashire fought back though, and Wagner will not be too unhappy with his final figures of 3 for 70. He dismissed Bresnan for 69 when another mighty drive could only inside-edge a catch behind and he then got rid of Hodd and celebrated joyously in the evening sunshine. One imagines he has enjoyed his first taste of a Roses match. As for Lancashire’s skipper, Steven Croft, he will be tired but not too despondent when he reviews the day. Pressed into service as a wicketkeeper after Alex Davies was ruled out with a knee injury, Croft pouched the catches which removed both Lyth and Bresnan and kept his men at their work. This game is beautifully poised. One wonders which side is bound for glory.

While in the short-term Everton boss Sean Dyche will be looking to steer the club to safety following what has been another turbulent campaign, the Englishman will also likely need to look beyond this season and consider how he can build a brighter future for the struggling outfit moving forward.

If the former Burnley boss is looking to carry out something of a squad overhaul this summer, however, in order to spark that change, the club's financial woes may prove a notable stumbling block, with funds likely to be limited to spend on new recruits.

Instead of scouring the transfer market for new additions, the 51-year-old could instead look to the Toffees' academy ranks in order to find potential stars of the future who can be gradually eased into the first-team, with 19-year-old midfielder, Isaac Price, seemingly one such prospect who should be given a chance to shine.

Who is Everton's Isaac Price?

It does appear that the centre of the park is an area that is in need of a reshuffle at Goodison Park, with the likes of Tom Davies and Abdoulaye Doucoure set to be out of contract this summer and next summer, respectively, while at 33, Idrissa Gueye is also no long-term option.

While owner Farhad Moshiri did invest £15m to bring promising asset James Garner to Merseyside from Manchester United during the summer, the 22-year-old has thus far been unable to make his mark at the club, having been hampered by injury.

The England youth international has been restricted to just six Premier League appearances so far this term – all of which have come from the bench – with Everton yet to have seen the benefit in snapping up the youngster from Old Trafford.

Although the 6 foot 1 ace may still come good in his current surroundings, Garner may be fearful that he could see his chance of game time inhibited even further due to the presence of the aforementioned Price, with the teenager already making waves for both club and country.

Previously hailed as "terrific" by U23's boss David Unsworth and lauded as "talented" by journalist Joe Thomas, the midfield maestro has already made three appearances for the club at senior level, notably featuring off the bench against Arsenal at the end of last season.

The exciting talent was previously described as "outstanding" by teammate Asmir Begovic after starring in the mid-season friendly clash against Celtic back in November, with The Athletic's Patrick Boyland stating that the teen had made "made an impression on coaches + teammates during Everton's tour."

The Northern Irishman was also the recipient of praise from former boss Frank Lampard due to that impact during the World Cup break, with the one-time Chelsea man having stated: "His energy is amazing, wins a lot of second balls & is calm when he gets there. Finds passes & pockets which is natural knack. He puts himself in the frame now."

Clearly a highly-rated individual, Price was handed his senior international debut by Michael O'Neill against San Marino last week, before again featuring off the bench in the defeat to Finland just a few days later.

That follows the academy sensation's impressive form at youth level for the Toffees, as he has netted three goals and provided two assists in 18 Premier League 2 games this season, proving himself adept at making an impact in the final third.

With Dyche's men currently the joint-lowest scorers in the division, a figure such as Price could be just what Everton are in need of, with it looking as if he could be a star of the future.

Moshiri and co will first need to get the precocious talent tied down to a new deal sooner rather than later – with just a matter of months to run on his existing contract – although thankfully, discussions over an extension are "ongoing", according to Boyland.

Arsenal have the perfect chance to secure their first Premier League title since 2003/2004 this season, with the Gunners sitting pretty at the top of the table, five points clear of Manchester City.

Mikel Arteta has managed to develop his side over the last couple of seasons and his persistence has paid off, while his signings in the transfer market have also been excellent, with Gabriel Jesus, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Martin Odegaard certainly adding something extra.

The Spaniard appears to be looking towards the future too, with the ultimate aim of building a dynasty that could dominate English football. With this in mind, the north Londoners have recently been linked with a move for Lille midfielder, Carlos Baleba.

The 19-year-old has burst onto the scene this season and the Ligue 1 side will be looking at a fee of around £30m for any team hoping to secure his signature and this could well turn out to be a bargain.

If Arteta does manage to sign Baleba, the 40-year-old could uncover his answer to a hugely influential figure in the club's history – Patrick Vieira.

Who is Carlos Baleba?

Vieira arrived at Arsenal as a young fresh-faced midfielder from the continent having impressed in his first few first-team appearances for AC Milan and Wenger saw enough talent to land the promising youngster for just £3.5m in 1996, subsequently turning him into one of the finest players in Europe.

Baleba has limitless potential and his Lille teammate Remy Cabella recently lauded the teen sensation, saying: "He's a monster, his big strength is power. On the ball, he has incredible strength (…). I think it's very, very hard to stop him."

He already appears to be embodying the qualities that Vieira had in abundance, a powerful runner who could create plenty of chances for his teammates, along with a stubborn defensive ability.

Indeed, this season, the Cameroonian has won ten tackles and 72.7% of his challenges while generating 2.62 shot-creating actions per match and completing 83.9% of his attempted passes this season in only 12 appearances.

Arsenal have been missing a player in Vieira’s mould for the previous 15 years and although there is no guarantee Baleba could hit the same heights, his potential combined with the chance to develop further under Arteta, there could be plenty of scope for the 19-year-old to turn into one of the finest talents in the country.

Down 1-2 in the series, this was a must-win game for Pakistan, and the pressure of the situation showed in the manner in which they approached their innings

On the Ball with S Rajesh16-Feb-2006Down 1-2 in the series, this was a must-win game for Pakistan, and the pressure of the situation showed in the manner in which they approached their innings. The Indian bowlers showed exemplary discipline early on, but Pakistan contributed with their attitude. The first couple of overs were maidens, and when the runs came, they were in trickles, interspersed with plenty of dot balls. The early defensive mindset of the batsmen allowed the bowlers to settle into a rhythm on a pitch which didn’t offer them too much assistance.The batsmen’s approach eventually resulted in a rash of poor strokes, so that after 15 overs their total read a miserable 38 for 4, from which there was no coming back. The pie-chart below shows just how much of a stranglehold the Indian bowlers had in the first 15: there were 32 defensive shots, while 18 balls were left alone. A comparison with the number of deliveries left alone in the earlier three games tells the story: in the previous match the number was six, while the figure from the first two games was three. Pakistan played 75 dot balls and managed just three fours in the first 15, and ultimately, that’s where the match was decided.