Leeds United can enjoy Christmas Day knowing that they are in the automatic promotion places in the Championship after their win over Oxford United on Saturday.

The Whites beat the visitors to Elland Road 4-0 and remained in second place in the table, as they aim to get promoted back to the Premier League at the second time of asking.

Dan James, Jayden Bogle, Brenden Aaronson, and Manor Solomon all got their names on the scoresheet in the emphatic win for the West Yorkshire outfit.

Daniel Farke’s side fell short of their objective of earning promotion back to the top-flight when they were beaten 1-0 by Southampton in the play-off final at the end of last term.

They will, therefore, be eager to avoid the lottery of the play-offs this time around, and they are currently on course to do that by finishing in the top two.

The German head coach has won automatic promotion from the Championship twice before, both times with Norwich City, and had the phenomenal talent of Emiliano Buendia to help him in both seasons.

Emi Buendia's title-winning form for Farke

The Argentina international, who currently plays for Champions League side Aston Villa in the Premier League, was a crucial part of the Canaries team that won the second tier in the 2018/19 and 2020/21 campaigns.

Buendia was a target for Leeds in the summer transfer window but Angus Kinnear confirmed that the player did not want to drop back down to the Championship, and Villa were unwilling to let him go at the time.

Signing the Argentine wizard from the Villans would have been a huge coup for the Whites because his form for Norwich under Farke in the second tier was incredibly impressive.

As you can see in the clips above, his two seasons at Championship level with the Canaries were littered with sensational moments of magic from the diminutive forward, who could create and score goals with relative ease.

Buendia played a key role in both promotions with his contributions in the final third, although it was his form in the 2020/21 campaign that earned him a big move to Aston Villa in the summer of 2021.

Appearances

38

39

Goals

8

15

Big chances created

7

18

Key passes per game

2.4

3.1

Assists

12

16

As you can see in the table above, the Norwich star provided regular quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals, particularly in the second title-winning season.

His form in the 2020/21 campaign also illustrates why Buendia may not want to return to the Championship, as the magical dynamo has already proven that he is too good for that level.

Farke could, however, unearth his next version of the Argentine ace by swooping for one of Leeds United’s reported transfer targets in the upcoming January window, which officially opens for business next week.

Leeds United linked with Premier League star

It was reported in November that the Whites are preparing a move to sign Manchester City attacking midfielder James McAtee on loan next month.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Cityzens boss Pep Guardiola opted to keep hold of the England U21 international in the summer, but he has only made two appearances as a substitute in the Premier League this season, which suggests that the Spanish boss overestimated how much he would need the midfielder.

The Whites are now hoping that the Premier League champions change their mind and make him available for a loan move in the second half of the season, so that they can swoop in and bolster their squad for a promotion push.

Speaking to Football Insider in November, ex-Leeds goalkeeper Paul Robinson claimed that the club have made an offer to sign the English dynamo, but added that there are other clubs in the race to secure his services.

The former Premier League goalkeeper said: “Leeds have made an audacious bid for him. He’s had two really good loans at Sheffield United, West Ham have been in the mix and he’s been linked with Fulham, but it’s not just going to be them.”

It now remains to be seen whether or not a loan move for McAtee is realistic for Leeds in January, but he could come in as a Buendia-esque option for Farke in the second half of the season if the club can get a deal over the line for him.

Why James McAtee could be Emi Buendia 2.0

Like the Argentine sensation, the Manchester City outcast is a diminutive playmaker with superb close control who can provide a threat as both a scorer and a creator for his teammates.

The 22-year-old spent the 2023/24 campaign on loan with Sheffield United in the Premier League and showed signs of promise at the top level, with three goals and three assists in 20 starts.

His form in the 2022/23 season in the Championship, during his first loan spell with the Blades, is what suggests that he could come in as an excellent signing for the West Yorkshire outfit in January, though.

McAtee’s performances were impressive enough for Blades striker Carl Asaba to compare him to Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard, who has been named in the PFA Team of the Year in the Premier League in each of the last two seasons.

Asaba said: “He’s like Odegaard. You play him in midfield so he’s defending for you, he’s another body for them to try and navigate away from but he likes the ball 30 yards out because he can go past you like you’re not there.”

That is incredibly high praise, when you consider that Odegaard scored 23 goals and provided 17 assists in his last two full league seasons, and illustrates how impressive the Englishman was during his time at Bramall Lane.

Starts

21

35

Goals

9

8

Big chances created

6

7

Assists

3

12

Dribbles completed per game

1.1

1.4

As you can see in the table above, McAtee produced similar numbers to Buendia’s 2018/19 form in his Championship promotion-winning season with the Blades, with the same number of goals and ‘big chances’ created combined.

The English dynamo ranked within the top 1% of midfielders in the division that term for non-penalty xG and Expected Assisted Goals per 90 (0.50), and the top 18% for shot-creating actions per 90 (3.41).

This shows that he was one of the best midfielders in the Championship at making an impact at the top end of the pitch, with his ability as a goalscorer and a creative threat shining through for Paul Heckingbottom’s side.

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Leeds must, now, persuade Manchester City to loan McAtee to them for the second half of the season, so that Farke can unearth his next 2018/19 version of Buendia at Elland Road.

Greece international blunts Middlesex attack after Helm’s burst brings him nine match wickets

ECB Reporters Network22-Jul-2022Debutant Sussex tailender Aristides Karvelas thwarted Middlesex’s hopes of victory with a defiant career-best half-century to secure a draw at Lord’s despite Tom Helm’s best efforts with the ball.Karvelas, a Johannesburg-born Greece international, batted for over two hours to blunt the Middlesex attack after Helm’s morning burst – which earned him record match figures of 9 for 146 – had raised the prospects of a final-session run chase.Helm picked up three wickets in 14 balls to reduce Sussex to 96 for 7, an overall lead of just 134, but a stubborn partnership of 45 between Karvelas and Archie Lenham steered the visitors towards safety.The 28-year-old was eventually dismissed after top-scoring with 57, but by then his efforts had saved the game and the captains agreed on a draw with Sussex on 181 for 9 in their second innings.Although Ali Orr perished cheaply for the second time in the match – run out by Toby Roland-Jones’ direct hit from mid-off – there were few indications during the opening hour that a clatter of wickets might accelerate the game.Tom Clark batted well for a chirpy 56, hitting successive fours off Roland-Jones and also depositing Helm over the short boundary for a maximum as Sussex progressed to 53 for 1.But Helm, following up a tight spell by Tim Murtagh at the Nursery End, then blitzed the visitors with a trio of rapid wickets – including the prize scalp of Cheteshwar Pujara, a rising delivery looping off the shoulder of the bat to second slip.When Clark played on to Umesh Yadav on the stroke of lunch, Sussex had slid to 69 for 5 and were looking vulnerable – even more so after Helm claimed his fourth wicket, with Delray Rawlins taken low at first slip.Sussex’s advantage still looked fragile when Murtagh bowled Dan Ibrahim through the gate, but Karvelas swiftly increased it by heaving a series of short-pitched deliveries from the Middlesex captain away to the short boundary.Murtagh rotated his seamers without success as Sussex’s eighth-wicket pair repaired the damage, using up 16.2 precious overs before Roland-Jones finally made the breakthrough, with Lenham (19) leaving the ball alone as it careered back to hit off stump.However, former Middlesex man Steven Finn joined Karvelas to snuff out any thoughts of a positive result, finishing 10 not out after his partner was finally dismissed, pushing forward at Sam Robson and offering a catch to gully.

فرض التعادل السلبي كلمته على مباراة مصر وزامبيا، التي انتهت منذ قليل، ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا تحت 20 عامًا.

والتقى منتخب مصر للشباب مع زامبيا ضمن منافسات الجولة الثالثة بالمجموعة الأولى، في كأس أمم إفريقيا التي تستضيفها مصر، والمؤهلة لنهائيات كأس العالم تحت 20 سنة في تشيلي. 

وحاول لاعبو منتخب مصر على مدار شوطي اللقاء تسجيل هدف يضمن لهم الثلاث نقاط، إلا أن الحالة الدفاعية الصلبة للمنتخب الزامبي حالت دون ذلك.

طالع أيضاً.. رابطة الأندية تفرض عقوبة قوية ضد الزمالك بعد أحداث مباراة المصري

على الجانب الآخر، فشل منتخب زامبيا في ترجمة أي فرصة إلى هدف، على مدار شوطي اللقاء، لتنتهي المواجهة بالتعادل السلبي.

بتلك النتيجة، يحتل منتخب مصر المركز الثاني في جدول ترتيب المجموعة الأولى برصيد 4 نقاط، بينما يتواجد منتخب زامبيا بالمركز الرابع، ولديه نقطتين.

يذكر أن بطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا تمنح بطاقات التأهل إلى نهائيات كأس العالم للشباب في تشيلي لأصحاب المراكز الأربعة الأولى، ما يجعل كل نقطة ذات أهمية قصوى في هذه المرحلة من المنافسات.

As Unai Emery and Aston Villa head into an important second half of the season, competing in both the Premier League (currently eighth and four points off of the top four) and the UEFA Champions League (currently fifth in the league standings), the business they manage to do this month could be incredibly important to the success of their season.

The Villans are currently showing interest in multiple deals for the January window, with Borussia Dortmund forward Donyell Malen subject to plenty of interest so far, having two bids already rejected for the 25-year-old Bundesliga forward.

But Aston Villa will be hunting for any new opportunities in the window, in order to strengthen Emery’s squad, hoping to enable an excellent second half of the season, challenging for the top four yet again, and aiming to reach the next stages of the Champions League.

Aston Villa transfer news

According to reports from RMC Sport, Aston Villa are considering a move for out-of-favour Paris Saint-Germain forward, Marco Asensio. The French giants are said to be open to letting the 28-year-old Spaniard leave the club this month, having only played a bit-part role so far this season.

Asensio has made 15 appearances for PSG so far this season, scoring two goals and providing four assists in 748 minutes. Many of these minutes have come in an unfamiliar centre-forward role, playing as more of a false-nine, compared to his more natural attacking midfield/wide roles.

This could present a good opportunity for Aston Villa, reminiscent of Philippe Coutinho back in 2021/22, when they signed him on loan during the January transfer window, before making the move permanent in the 2022 summer transfer window, pouncing on the opportunity to sign a high-level technician.

Aston Villa's next Coutinho

Coutinho joined Villa from Barcelona, costing around £17m after his initial six-month loan deal. In his time for the Villans, Coutinho made 43 appearances, scoring six goals, providing three assists and totalling 2,296 minutes played.

Marco Asensio (24/25) vs Philippe Coutinho (21/22) comparison

Stats (per 90 mins)

Asensio

Coutinho

Goals

0.24

0.32

Assists

0.48

0.14

xG

0.67

0.32

xAG

0.34

0.15

Progressive Carries

2.53

3.70

Progressive Passes

4.46

6.11

Shots Total

3.49

3.24

Key Passes

1.93

1.25

Shot-Creating Actions

4.34

3.66

Stats taken from FBref

When comparing the season Coutinho joined Villa with Asensio’s current numbers at PSG this season, you can see how the Spaniard would offer good attacking quality for Emery’s side. Whilst Coutinho had a better goal-scoring record that term, Asensio has actually generated more xG and xAG (expected goals and expected assisted goals) so far in 2024/25 in comparison.

Coutinho offered slightly more in terms of progressive metrics, but Asensio, whilst still ranking well in these metrics, also offers more final third production at this point, with better output, a higher shot volume and more key passes/shot-creating actions per 90.

At just 28 years old, Asensio – who Vicente del Bosque claimed is a “world-class player” – still clearly has the quality to play at the top level and could provide Aston Villa with another versatile attacking option, who has Champions League experience, which could turn out to be invaluable to their campaign.

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A Sky Sports panel has given their verdict on Chelsea now targeting a striker capable of scoring “40 goals a season”, with contact made between clubs as manager Enzo Maresca looks to bolster his forward line.

Chelsea could now sign forward as Bayern Munich chase Nkunku deal

Credible media sources report that Chelsea will push to sign a replacement for Christopher Nkunku if he leaves, and that is starting to look like a serious possibility as Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich earmark the Frenchman as a top January transfer target.

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Nkunku has racked up 13 goals across 28 appearances in all competitions for Chelsea this term, standing out as one of their chief goalscorers, but he’s a bit-part Premier League player under Maresca with the vast majority his strikes coming in cup competitions.

The 27-year-old’s squad status is said to be really frustrating him behind-the-scenes, and Vincent Kompany senses an opportunity to tempt him with a move to Germany.

Wolverhampton Wanderers (home)

January 20

Man City (away)

January 25

West Ham (away)

February 3

Brighton (away)

February 14

Aston Villa (home)

February 22

So much so, that Sky Sports’ Florian Plettenberg reports that Nkunku has already verbally agreed personal terms on a move to Bayern – so this transfer looks like a very serious potential one to watch if Chelsea and the European heavyweights can agree on a fee.

The national press claim Chelsea want around £65 million to sell Nkunku before deadline day, so the Bavarians will have to pay up if they wish to shake hands on a deal with Maresca’s side.

Interestingly, the likes of Fabrizio Romano have stated that the west Londoners are considering a potential swap deal, with versatile Bayern striker Mathys Tel heading the other way.

The 19-year-old has struggled for game time under Kompany this season, and some reports suggest that Tel would be willing to entertain a move to Chelsea this month.

Sky Sports react as Chelsea make contact to sign Mathys Tel

Tel can play as a centre-forward, as well as on either flank, which could make him a very useful option for Maresca, similar to Nkunku. Sky Sports reiterate that Chelsea have made contact with Bayern over a deal for Tel, whilst also giving their verdict on the Frenchman – and it is a glowing one at that.

“They’ve contacted Bayern Munich to ask about the availability of Mathys Tel,” said the panel host on Sky.

When asked about what Chelsea supporters could expect from the teenage sensation, one panel member said: “He’s seen as one of the best young strikers in Europe.

“He can play left-hand side, he can play up front as well, I think he’s got the physical presence to play up front, when you see him play he’s lean, he’s mobile, he’s got good pace, which is why most of his opportunities have come from the left-hand side.

“His problem, I guess, is that Harry Kane is ‘the’ striker given how much Bayern spent on him. Last season, he was a real consistent player coming off the bench for Thomas Tuchel, but this season his opportunities have been stunted a little bit.

“When Julian Nagelsmann was there, he said that he was capable of scoring 40 goals a season, they know how good a player he is and I feel like it might be quite difficult for Chelsea to get him out of Bayern at this stage. But, he’s a player who Chelsea have watched for a little while.”

Kevin De Bruyne has confirmed that he will be leaving Manchester City as a free agent at the end of the season.

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• Moved to the Etihad Stadium in 2015
• Won six Premier League titles and Champions League
• Set to walk away when contract expires

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The classy Belgian midfielder returned to England – having previously endured a tough time at Chelsea – in the summer of 2015. He has gone on to become a Premier League legend, claiming six top-flight titles. De Bruyne is also a Champions League, FA Cup and League Cup winner with over 400 appearances for City to his name.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  At 33 years of age, De Bruyne will see his current contract expire in the summer. No extension to those terms will be put in place, meaning that a new challenge will be sought after a decade of loyal service at the Etihad Stadium.

• WHAT KEVIN DE BRUYNE SAID

  De Bruyne has said in an emotional message to City fans on social media: "Dear Manchester. Seeing this, you probably realise where this is heading. So I'll get straight to it and let you all know that these will be my final months as a Manchester City player.

  "Nothing about this is easy to write, but as football players, we all know this day eventually comes. That day is here – and you deserve to hear it from me first.

  "Football led me to all you and – and to this city. Chasing my dream, not knowing this period would change my life. This city. This club. These people… gave me EVERYTHING back! And guess what – we won EVERYTHING.

  "Whether we like it or not, it's time to say goodbye. Suri, Rome, Mason, Michele and I are beyond grateful for what this place has meant to our family. 'Manchester' will forever be on our kids' passports – and more importantly, in each of our hearts.

  "This will always be our HOME. We cannot thank the city, club, staff, teammates, friends and family enough for this 10-year ride.

  "Every story comes to an end, but this has definitely been the best chapter. Let's enjoy these last moments together! Much love, Kevin."

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• WHAT NEXT FOR KEVIN DE BRUYNE?

  De Bruyne sits second to Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs (162) on the all-time list of Premier League assist-makers, with 118 to his name. Various landing spots have been mooted for the Belgium international, ranging from MLS to the Saudi Pro League.

We are halfway through the season, and it already feels like Tottenham Hotspur’s Premier League campaign is over.

Ange Postecoglou’s side slipped down to 12th place following their defeat to Newcastle United on Saturday and are currently 12 points off Chelsea in the final guaranteed Champions League spot.

However, the North Londoners have a League Cup semi-final to come tomorrow night, an FA Cup game on the weekend and remain in the Europa League, so there is still plenty to play for.

With that said, to stand any chance in those competitions, the club need to sort out their biggest weakness, which is their defence, and based on recent reports, that could be happening as they’ve been linked to someone who could finally replace Radu Dragusin.

Tottenham Hotspur transfer news

According to a recent report from Caught Offside, Tottenham are one of several teams interested in Udinese centre-back Thomas Kristensen.

In fact, the report claims that it’s currently felt that the most substantial interest is coming from the North Londoners, although the likes of Leicester City and Bayer Leverkusen are also noted as keen parties.

While the potential competition isn’t ideal, the good news is that, according to the story, the promising defender will likely be available for around £16.5m, which could leave some funds for more deals this month.

Overall, this seems like it could be a rather straightforward and relatively inexpensive transfer to get done and, considering Kristensen’s ability, one Spurs should be getting done, especially because he’d be a dream Dragusin upgrade.

How Kristensen compares to Dragusin

So, the first thing to say is that, given the importance of both Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven to Postecoglou’s system, the former for his leadership and experience and the latter for his lightning speed and decision-making, Kristensen would not be signed as genuine competition for them.

Instead, the Danish international would almost certainly be viewed as a rival for Dragusin to be the team’s first-choice backup, and based on their respective campaigns this season, it would be a competition the Udinese ace would win hands down.

Now, given where they play, we can’t show this through goals and assists like we would an attacking player, but instead, we can see the Dane’s superiority by comparing their underlying numbers.

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.03

0.01

Progressive Passes

3.93

3.07

Progressive Carries

1.15

0.5

Passing Accuracy

84.6%

85.2%

Key Passes

0.33

0.09

Shot-Creating Actions

0.82

0.44

Tackles

1.15

0.79

Tackles Won

0.66

0.44

Interceptions

0.49

1.23

Clearances

3.61

3.33

Errors Leading to Shot

0.00

0.35

Ball Recoveries

2.95

3.95

Aerial Duels Won

3.77

2.28

For example, according to FBref, the Aarhus-born titan comes out ahead in the vast majority of relevant metrics, including but not limited to progressive passes and carries, key passes, tackles, tackles won, clearances, aerial duels, and he makes fewer errors leading to a shot, all per 90.

Moreover, on top of being far more impressive from a statistical perspective, the 22-year-old should be able to add more physical stature to the Lilywhites’ backline.

For example, he stands at a massive 6 foot 6 to the Romanian’s 6 foot 3, and according to respected analyst Ben Mattinson, is “a unit at the back.”

Ultimately, while Dragusin can sometimes be a scapegoat for Spurs, he is clearly not of the level required to cover for Romero and Van de Ven, whereas Kristensen looks like he could be.

Therefore, Daniel Levy and Co should act fast to bring him in this month before someone beats them to it.

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ByJack Salveson Holmes Jan 6, 2025

Brendon McCullum has challenged England to test the limits of their new attacking approach by taking it “too far”, and hopes county cricketers look to emulate how the Test batters have performed in their 3-0 series win over New Zealand.England ticked off three run-chases out of three in McCullum’s first series as head coach of the Test side, sealing an emphatic seven-wicket victory at Headingley. Just as at Trent Bridge in the second Test, when 299 was chased comfortably in 50 overs, victory came in a flurry on the final day, sealed by Joe Root (86 not out) and Jonny Bairstow (71 not out) in a 111-run stand spanning 14.3 overs that ultimately saw off a target of 296 in less than two sessions.This was only England’s second series win since the start of 2021. But the manner of it spoke of much more than simply a team overcoming a dire run of form. With the 277 achieved at Lord’s, England have three new entries in the top 12 of their all-time chases list, this one at Headingley coming in at No.7.As observers of English cricket wonder just how much longer the team can sustain this run, and indeed this style of play, McCullum believes they will only find their limits if they continue to push themselves to go bigger and better.”I hope we take it too far because then we’ll know exactly where that line is. Until you do that, you’re not really sure. We’ve seen it with the England white-ball stuff – there have been times where they’ve probably pushed too hard, and then they know. I think it’ll be the same with us, and we’ve got to keep exploring what that line is.”It’s not just about batting either,” McCullum added, reflecting on how England overcame a wicketless morning session on the fourth day at Headingley to run through New Zealand’s lower order with five quick wickets. “If you look at how we’ve fielded and how we’ve bowled as well, some of the field placements that the skipper’s had in place and the mentality the guys have had is constantly to try and chase wickets.”Even yesterday [Sunday] when there was a partnership establishing between Mitchell and Blundell, maybe in the past at times there might have been a slight unease about the total that was building up. But we kept attacking, the fields were very attacking right throughout, the bowlers kept trying to bowl towards modes of dismissal and to me that’s just part and parcel with how this team wants to play.”Highest run rate for a team in a Test series•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

As dynamic as the batting has been, the bowling effort has carried a never-say-die spirit, typified by Jack Leach’s maiden ten-wicket match haul (comprised of five for 100 and five for 66) and Matthew Potts’ debut series of 14 dismissals, the most for the hosts.Speaking after stumps on Monday, new captain Ben Stokes hoped his charges have sent a message to those angling for Test honours in the future, whether with bat or ball. “I’d like to think people watching would know what they have to do to bang the door down to get in this team”. It was a sentiment McCullum was keen to amplify.”It would be nice,” McCullum said, when Stokes’ comments were put to him. “We can’t impose any of that stuff on them as well, because they’ve got things that they want to achieve, but I think you’ll see if we can build this and we have success doing it, you see the type of player (we want).”If I was a young player around county cricket and I saw what our No.5 for England [Bairstow] is currently doing and the role and how he’s encouraged to play that way, then I’d probably look at trying to play like that myself to ensure that I would get noticed as well, in case something was to happen to that person.”You hope that it filters down, you certainly can’t be belligerent enough to think that it will always be the case. I think that we’ve already seen with county cricket scores over the past couple of days that maybe that positivity has filtered down.”Those inside the dressing room and beyond have heaped praise on the way McCullum and Stokes have lifted a group of players who were coming into this summer with just one win in 17 matches behind them. Speaking to Sky during this third Test, James Anderson, who was unable to take part due to an ankle issue, championed McCullum for making him feel “ten feet tall”. Stokes, meanwhile, has practised what he preaches: batting selflessly – arguably to a fault, at times – and backing his bowlers completely in the field.No doubt there is a far greater atmosphere around the English game, the tell-tale sign being how engaged those who have been in the stands seem to be with the way the game is being played. McCullum, however, was keen to dampen down the influence of both him and Stokes, insisting that they have benefitted from circumstance to a degree.”Timing is important – you have got to be ready for change. I think taking over this job when the skipper and I have, there was a thirst for change. When your results haven’t been good, people are more receptive to change.”The freshness of some of the ideas, the approach, stripping out some of the noise, but getting guys to play the game for the game’s sake. Still understand your obligations and responsibilities but just play the game. Enjoy the game with your mates and understand you have a very finite time as an international cricketer, so you should try and enjoy that, rather than being paralysed by the fear of failure or the noise.”The skipper has taken them on a journey, I’ve tried to fill in the gaps where needed and they’ve got instant gratification for that change. It doesn’t always happen. But that’s why those guys are so keen on this style.”Related

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However, England are clearly benefitting from the fact that McCullum has already lived through the methods that he is calling for. Across an international career spanning 14 years, he was praised and pilloried for how he approached his cricket as a wicketkeeper-batter with a global profile. There were highs and lows, but most of the highs – certainly the ones celebrated fullest – seemed to come at the back-end of his career, once he had made peace with how he wanted to play and what he wanted from the game.Having only retired from professional cricket in 2019, his connection to the generations he is now overseeing is strong. As is his appreciation of the pressures facing them on and off the field and why, as well as shedding doubt and blocking out the external noise, they should enjoy this time as much as possible.”I had a great time during my career – loved it. It wasn’t always beers and skittles, but it was fun and at the end you look back at where you landed and the time you had. That’s why I’m so strong with my messaging, they should enjoy themselves.”They need to now play the game in the way that will give them the most satisfaction to try and quieten down the other stuff. Because if you are able to do that, and you are able to have success, you build that camaraderie in the group and it’s such a magic place to be. They’re the memories which you create. Then you leave the game content and not wanting to go back out there and play.”The next challenge is right around the corner, with India on Friday at Edgbaston for the fifth and final Test of the series which began last summer. India lead 2-1 and will no doubt have played close attention to the noise coming out of the England camp, both in their play and their talk.McCullum is looking forward to the challenge, in particular how his side copes after putting other teams on notice. In many ways, they have caught New Zealand cold. Other teams, including South Africa later this summer and Pakistan this winter, will not be as unprepared.”It’ll be quite good fun to look at a new opponent,” said McCullum. “The world test champions were a formidable opponent to overcome and the alarm bells have probably gone off somewhat around world cricket as to how this team is going to play. We need to make sure against a different opposition we’re well researched, well planned, well prepared for that and try and roll out a similar kind of performance.”Let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves, let’s enjoy the moment and see what unfolds in the next little while. It’s exciting.”

Arsenal fans have been heard chanting Barcelona icon Lionel Messi's name upon the arrival of the Real Madrid team bus at the Emirates.

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Arsenal host Real Madrid in UCLLos Blancos bus arrives at EmiratesGunners fans chant "Messi"Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Ahead of the first leg of Arsenal's Champions League quarter-final against the defending champions on Tuesday, Arsenal fans jeered the arriving Madrid bus and also chanted the name of Messi – who was Los Blancos' arch nemesis for many years.

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Arsenal go into this tie as underdogs against the 15-time Champions League winners. If they want to progress to the next round, they will very likely have to take a first leg advantage to the Santiago Bernabeu next week. The Gunners have never won this competition and will need to be at their best to win this tie.

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After Mikel Arteta's Arsenal host Madrid on Tuesday night, they travel to Spain for the return fixture next Wednesday.

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No Chile, oFlamengo terá a missão de enfrentar a Universidad Católica, às 19h (de Brasília) desta quinta-feira, pela terceira rodada do Grupo H da Libertadores, e defender uma invencibilidade histórica como visitante no torneio. E Willian Arão, que já enfrentou o time chileno noEstádio San Carlos de Apoquindo em 2017, alertou para o “caldeirão” que o Fla irá se deparar:

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– Obviamente, são dois times e momentos completamente diferentes. Dá para lembrar que é um caldeirão, muito difícil jogar lá, historicamente. Que eu me lembre, fizemos uma boa partida, mas levamos um gol de bola parada, marcado pelo Santiago Silva (1×0). O que a gente espera é mais uma partida difícil e dura de Libertadores, mas temos condições de apresentar um bom futebol lá e sair vencedor – disse o volante, à “FlaTV”, ao lembrar do confronto realizado no Chile pela Libertadores de 2017, em que o time saiu derrotado por 1 a 0, na fase de grupos.

> GALERIA – Veja os projetos de novos estádios dos clubes brasileiros

Atleta mais longevo no elenco do Fla, Arão falou sobre a experiência de jogos na Libertadores, citando fatores que costumam ser empecilhos em jogos da competição continental:

– Ajuda bastante a experiência, conviver com essa situação, conhecer já os estádios, que são diferentes, a maioria venta muito, então modifica também a forma de jogar, os árbitros, a qualidade do gramado… Enfim, tento passar tudo isso para os meus companheiros para que eles se atentem os mais rápido possível, ainda mais nesta fase, que não tem VAR. Como time, temos que estar preparado para qualquer situação.

> Veja a tabela da Libertadores

O camisa 5 também disse o que se espera do jogo desta quinta:

– Mais um jogo difícil, importantíssimo, três pontos já encaminham e nos dão uma tranquilidade muito grande para a sequência da Libertadores. A gente pôde treinar, corrigir algumas coisas e esperamos apresentar um bom futebol, além de fazer os três pontos para encaminhar essa classificação.