All posts by h716a5.icu

With a shot of holding the FA Cup aloft, on top of successfully finishing in the top eight of the refreshed Champions League structure, Aston Villa will now turn their attention to correcting their waning Premier League form for the rest of February.

Unai Emery’s Villans haven’t won in the bread and butter of the top-flight since mid-January away at Everton, with a couple of underwhelming draws coming their way since, alongside a damaging 2-0 defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers knocking their confidence last time out.

Three home games on the bounce do give Emery and Co a healthy chance of picking up some much-needed wins, with the former Arsenal boss no doubt boosted by a superb winter transfer window too.

Aston Villa's sensational winter transfer window

Indeed, even with Jhon Duran’s departure to Al-Nassr hitting Villa hard in the striker department, the Premier League side still managed to exit the transfer window as strong winners.

The bumper window saw the statement trio of Axel Disasi, Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio all enter the building on short-term deals, with the last two players named already impressing at Villa Park versus Spurs.

The former Real Madrid midfielder stood out in particular with his easy-on-the-eye approach which culminated in a number of tricks and flicks coming off, on top of a 100% pass accuracy also being registered.

Emery will hope these new loanees can help his side surge up the table back into top four contention, therefore, with his faltering team currently six points off Chelsea occupying that coveted fourth spot.

Whilst they have been able to flex their muscles this window with Rashford and Co, they haven’t always had such great luck when it comes to big incomings through the door, with one move for a future superstar back in 2021 going awry.

One that got away

The transfers that nearly happened but never did. This article is part of Football FanCast's One That Got Away series.

The "outstanding" ace Aston Villa nearly signed

If you cast your mind back to the West Midlands outfit four years ago, Champions League football would have been viewed as somewhat of a distant pipedream.

Villa ended up finishing in a mediocre 11th spot come the end of the 2020/21 season, having only just survived the campaign before courtesy of homegrown star Jack Grealish’s heroics.

Villa would go into the summer market back in 2021 with the aim of forking out significant wads of cash to improve, with Emiliano Buendia joining for a bumper £38m from Norwich City one notable buy.

In another reality – alongside the purchase of Buendia – Villa could have welcomed his fellow compatriot Julian Alvarez, with reports at the time suggesting that the then River Plate attacker was the subject of an enquiry from Aston Villa with talk of an £8m move on the cards.

Unfortunately, no such move would take place, with Manchester City then gaining Alvarez’s services for £14m in the summer of 2022, which went down as an extremely savvy investment.

The “outstanding” South American – as he was labelled by Pep Guardiola – eventually bowed out from his time in Manchester by collecting a hefty 53 goals and assists across 103 appearances.

This led to his next employers in Atletico Madrid having to cough up a far steeper sum than £14m to land the 25-year-old.

24/25

Atletico

36

17

4

23/24

Man City

54

19

13

22/23

Man City

49

17

4

He ended up becoming City’s record sale at a whopping £81m, with the Spanish giants already getting the best out of Alvarez to shrug off any flop tags that could have been put above his head on his extortionate arrival.

That £81m valuation amazingly means he is worth more than both Morgan Rogers – who has a Transfermarkt valuation of £33m – and Duran’s exit fee to Al-Nassr of £65m.

Villa definitely dropped the ball not going after the 25-year-old when they could have, but Emery will know his team now is already stocked with some top talents.

Aston Villa have already sold their answer to Rashford in "elite" £37m star

Aston Villa may wish they still had this man at the club

ByJoe Nuttall Feb 12, 2025

Former South Africa captain wants the team to play their best attack, comprising five match-winning bowlers

Sruthi Ravindranath03-Dec-2022With South Africa still figuring out their best XI for the Test tour of Australia, former captain Graeme Smith believes they should stick to an “aggressive mindset” and play six batters and five bowlers.”I’d like to see South Africa back their six batters,” Smith told ESPNcricinfo. “I think there’s always that fear because the batting has been weak. They’ve always looked to play the extra batter. Maybe that can be a defensive mindset and not an aggressive mindset. I’d like to see them take an aggressive mindset.Related

Will South Africa follow England's Test template? Not quite, says van der Dussen

'I'm here to support Dean in every way' – South Africa captain has coach Maketa's backing

'I respect what he has been through' – Elgar backs under-fire Bavuma to bounce back

Kagiso Rabada hopes for Test turnaround in Australia after 'disappointing' T20 World Cup

Smith hopes SA20 will help end South Africa's World Cup wait

“You’ve got Lungi Ngidi, you’ve got Marco Jansen. You’ve got [Kagiso] Rabada and Anrich Nortje, and you’ve got Keshav Maharaj, who are all outstanding Test bowlers and can really win you games single-handedly. Work on the batters, get the six batters to bat in partnerships and get totals. If you get the totals you want, bowlers can win you games. And South Africa should pick the bowlers who can win you games.”South Africa’s Test captain Dean Elgar had suggested they were still “in a bit of debate” about playing an extra batter to lengthen their line-up. South Africa are presently second in the World Test Championship table, but their batters haven’t been racking up big numbers in the last few years. Since the start of 2020, they have had just six centuries in 19 games, the fewest among the teams part of the WTC. In their previous Test series, which they lost to hosts England 2-1 in August-September, they had just one batter among the top five run-getters. They also got bowled out under 200 four times in that series.Smith also said South Africa needed to focus on building partnerships. They have had just nine century stands in the last two years, which is again the fewest among the nine teams that are part of the World Test Championships.

“I think whenever you tour Australia you got to be prepared for being in someone else’s country for a period of time. Crowds.. and the players playing the game hard so definitely you’ve got to be mentally preparedGraeme Smith knows a thing or two about touring down under

“If you can get those partnerships together over 100-150, you start to make an impact on the team’s innings. I think when you’re under pressure, you tend to focus on yourself and the pressure just grows, how you can work together as a batting unit to post totals there in Australia is going to be key. You obviously need some of your big players to perform well and take the pressure off the youngsters.”South Africa’s bowling continues to remain their biggest strength. Their bowling average of 24.94 is the second lowest while their strike-rate of 46.7 is the best among the Test-playing teams in the last two years.Among the standouts in this department has been Rabada, who’s been their kingpin across formats. Among the bowlers to take 50-plus wickets since 2020, only his team-mate Nortje has had a better bowling strike rate than him. Rabada is the only fast bowler who was part of South Africa’s successful Test tour of Australia in 2016, when he took 15 wickets in six innings.”The thing about KG is that he’s the center piece for South African cricket at the moment so whenever he doesn’t play it’s noticeable,” Smith said•Getty ImagesAhead of this tour, however, Rabada admitted that the amount of cricket being played was a concern and that it needs to be “managed”.”The thing about KG is that he’s the centre piece for South African cricket at the moment so whenever he doesn’t play it’s noticeable,” Smith said. “But it’s about producing enough talent that you can afford to rest a player here and there. At the moment you know in a World Cup, and a big tour to Australia, he has to play his roles there. And also as he gets more experience, he will learn to manage himself and stay focused on what’s important.”With Elgar saying his side was prepared for a “feisty” series against the current No. 1 Test team, Smith, who has been part of three bilateral tours to Australia, said South Africa should solely focus on competing on the field.”I think whenever you tour Australia you got to be prepared for being in someone else’s country for a period of time. Crowds.. and the players playing the game hard so definitely you’ve got to be mentally prepared. I think the key is always playing good cricket. It’s the only way that I’ve found over the years, having lost really badly once and won twice, if you can play really good cricket and you turn everything around and the home team gets under pressure. So I hope that South Africa focus on their performances, in particular their batsmen. There is some talent in the bowling ranks, [but] if the batters can get some runs in Australia it gives you a chance to beat them.”The first of three Tests between Australia and South Africa starts on December 17 at the Gabba in Brisbane,

Credits captain Rohit and rest of team management for throwing their support behind him

Sidharth Monga02-Nov-20224:30

KL Rahul: ‘The support staff and captain have backed players’

A day before India’s game against Bangladesh, coach Rahul Dravid spent a majority of his press conference repeating his and Rohit Sharma’s unconditional and unequivocal support for the struggling KL Rahul, who had scored managed single-figure scores in three innings. Dravid said he was fine with Rahul’s intent because the conditions had been difficult, but also said that he expected Rahul to respond accordingly if he came across a 180 pitch. It turned out India just about scraped through with 184, and that was built on an aggressive start by Rahul, who scored 50 off 32.Related

Bangladesh accuse Kohli of 'fake fielding' during tense India victory

Kohli: an indomitable run-machine at T20 WCs

India survive Litton Das scare in wet Adelaide

Shakib joins Southee as highest wicket-taker in T20Is

Kohli becomes the highest run-scorer in men's T20 World Cups

Rahul spoke glowingly of the captain Rohit and the rest of the team management for supporting him through this phase. “We have all said this a lot of times before as well that this is where the support staff plays an important role in creating that environment where a player feels comfortable, confident and there is no doubt about his ability or what he brings to the team,” Rahul said. “And they have kept that environment really, really balanced all the time whether we do well or don’t do well. We always stay balanced.”The support staff has been really supportive. The captain has always backed his players. And you can see that. That’s why players – even when we have had a couple of tough innings – we find a way to come back and do well for the team. It is something you work on as a team. There are things you work on as an individual that help you but these are things that as a team you work on. The support staff, the coach, the captain, when they show confidence and faith in you, it gives you that confidence as a player that you will get the backing if you are going in the right direction.”3:47

Flower: India absolutely right to back Rahul

That Rahul was not showing the intent to score boundaries led some to believe he had been low on confidence, but Rahul said that wasn’t the case. “I was obviously disappointed at having not contributed for three games,” Rahul said. “That is the only doubt in your mind but you don’t – at least I didn’t – get frustrated. I didn’t feel like my form or my confidence was low. I just didn’t get the runs. It happens in the game. You are not always going to keep scoring runs. It’s what you feel. If you are feeling confident, then you know a good innings will come and it’s around the corner. I knew that in my heart that I was seeing the ball well. My processes were right. I knew a good knock or a good contribution for the team is coming.”Rahul said he can stay balanced in his emotions no matter how the end result in terms of number of runs is. “My emotions were good,” Rahul said when asked of where he had been emotionally during and after those three low scores. “I am excited to be here. It’s obviously a huge opportunity for all of us. And we have all looked forward to the World Cup for the last 10 to 12 months and worked really hard as individuals and as a team.”And yeah I was still relaxed. I have always tried to be as balanced as I can as a person whether I do well, whether I don’t do well. I try to judge myself on whether my mindset is right or whether I am trying to do the role and responsibility that the team expects me to do. If I think I am doing that well, I can go to sleep peacefully.”That Rahul has helped India survive a banana peel on the way to the semi-finals should definitely help him sleep peacefully before India leave for Melbourne. Unless he gets too excited about the comeback.

According to multiple reports, the 62-year-old Spanish coach has entered negotiations with the Guadalajara-based club

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Torrent coached at New York City FC, Flamengo, Galatasaray

Was Pep Guardiola’s assistant at several stops

Took Atlético San Luis to the semifinals last yearFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED?

Domènec Torrent has officially stepped down as head coach of Atlético de San Luis and is now reportedly a leading candidate to take over the managerial position at Chivas de Guadalajara. According to multiple reports, the Spanish coach, 62, has already entered negotiations with the Guadalajara-based club, which is said to be impressed by his extensive experience and leadership qualities.

In recent days, Jaime Lozano had been rumored as the front-runner for the Chivas post, but Torrent's well-traveled career and tactical pedigree could tip the balance in his favor. Other names previously linked to the position include Robert Dante Siboldi, Nicolás Larcamón, Ignacio Ambriz, and Guillermo Almada.

However, Larcamón and Almada are currently involved in the Clausura 2025 Liguilla, complicating any potential approach from Chivas – a club eager to secure a new manager quickly to begin preseason planning and potential transfer moves.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Torrent’s coaching résumé includes spells at New York City FC, Flamengo, and Galatasaray, as well as a prominent role as Pep Guardiola’s assistant during successful periods at Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Manchester City.

Chivas, who parted ways with Gerardo Espinoza following a disappointing regular-season exit, are under pressure to make a swift and strategic hire. While other coaches like Jaime Lozano and Guillermo Almada have been mentioned, Torrent’s international profile and recent availability make him a strong contender.

Negotiations are reportedly ongoing, and a final decision from Chivas could come soon as the club looks to turn the page and prepare for the next chapter.

Getty Images SportDID YOU KNOW?

Torrent's tenure at Atlético de San Luis began promisingly, guiding the team to the semifinals in his first season – the club’s best result since returning to the top flight in 2017. However, the following campaign saw a significant dip in form, with the team finishing with just 18 points in 15th place.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR CHIVAS?

While sporting director Mier and his team continue planning for the Apertura 2025, players have been called to report for preseason on May 21. Starting in late July, Chivas will compete in the Leagues Cup, where they share a group with the New York Red Bulls, FC Cincinnati, and Charlotte FC.

How do Rangers salvage this season, and how does Philippe Clement keep his job?

Having been ignominiously dumped out of the Scottish Cup by Queen’s Park last Sunday, defeated in that competition by lower-league opposition at Ibrox for the first time ever, the Light Blues are staring down the barrel of a trophyless season.

The Gers are 13 points adrift of run-away Premiership leaders Celtic, a gap that will be insurmountable, but Sunday’s trip to Tynecastle still feels must-win, as Clement fights to remain in situ, ahead of Rangers’ Europa League last 16 tie coming up on 6 March.

So, could the Belgian claim the victory he so badly needs by unleashing a highly-rated teenage midfielder?

Rangers' midfield issues

As noted by former Celtic defender Charlie Mulgrew, midfield has been a problem area for Rangers throughout this season.

Clement has primarily deployed three different options at the base of midfield this season, so let’s assess their stats.

Statistics

Mohamed Diomandé

Connor Barron

Nicolas Raskin

Appearances

38

33

32

Minutes

2,831

2,251

2,394

Goals

5

0

1

Assists

4

2

4

Big chances created

6

0

1

Tackles per 90

1.6

2.4

3.5

Interceptions per 90

0.8

1.2

1.2

% of ground duels won

52.5%

52.1%

55.1%

Average Sofascore rating

7.06

6.88

7.20

As the table outlines, Mohammed Diomandé and Nicolas Raskin have been Rangers’ best-performing midfield duo this season.

The former boasts the best attacking statistics, goals, assists and big chances created, while the Belgian shines for defensive metrics, namely tackles, interceptions and duels.

Thus, it’s no surprise that this has been Clement’s starting duo for the last five Premiership and Europa League matches they’ve both been available for; Diomandé was suspended for the trip to Old Trafford last month.

Thus, this means Connor Barron has been the man to miss out, generally performing the poorest of the three, reflected by the fact he has the worst return for goals and assists, as well as big chances created.

Chalkboard

Earlier this season, after making the move from Aberdeen, Barron was earning rave reviews, most notably named the club’s player of the month for September.

Meanwhile, a report by BBC Sport noted he made a “promising start to his Rangers career”, with Peter Cassidy of STV describing him as “one of the few shining lights at Ibrox this season”.

However, the 22-year-old has not featured in any of Rangers’ last four Premiership fixtures due to a medial collateral ligament injury sustained during a collision with Manchester United’s Matthijs de Ligt, and the date of his return is as yet unknown.

So, currently short of midfield options, should Clement turn to a teenager at Tynecastle?

The Rangers starlet who Clement must unleash

Against Queen’s Park in last Sunday’s ill-fated Scottish Cup tie, 18-year-old Bailey Rice, who Ben Mattinson on Twitter describes as a “quality midfielder”, was handed his full-senior debut.

However, it didn’t last long, with Rice hooked at half time, a substitution that former Hearts and Hibs midfielder Michael Stewart, speaking on Premier Sports’ Scottish Football Social club, described as a “deplorable decision”, adding that Rice “did not deserve to be taken off”, with Darrell Currie saying that he hopes the youngster does not feel like a “scapegoat”.

On top of this, former Rangers defender Alan Hutton believes Rice is “ready” to start contributing at first-team level, adding that he was impressed by the teenager when he was introduced at halftime against Man United, following Barron’s injury.

Teammate Ianis Hagi has also praised the youngster’s “mentality”, so we’re advocating for Clement to put Rice back into the team at Hearts on Sunday, if the Gers are to claim the three points they so desperately require in Gorgie.

Tipped for success at such a young age, the signs point to the teenager emerging as an even bigger talent than the stricken Barron, with it set to be an interesting tussle in the centre of the park over the coming years.

Rangers loanee who left in 2022 is now worth 2421% more than Lyall Cameron

One of the best players in the Premier League this season was on loan at Rangers not that long ago, so how has this youngster risen to stardom?

ByBen Gray Feb 14, 2025

“It’s going to help us to be ready for the big games whenever the opportunity comes,” Hardik says

Hemant Brar04-Jan-2023Hardik Pandya is not afraid of putting his side in difficult situations during bilateral T20Is, long-term gains being more important than short-term ones – he said as much at the toss during the first T20I against Sri Lanka and reiterated it after the game.The record at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium favoured chasing sides, who had won 24 of the 41 T20s played there in the last two years before Tuesday’s game. So it was understandable that Dasun Shanaka opted to field after winning the toss.Hardik, who is leading India in Rohit Sharma’s absence, was fine with that. “To be honest, we were going to bat first,” he said at the toss. “It is a chasing ground, but I wanted our team to be challenged. In bilaterals, we want to put ourselves in more difficult situations than [we] generally [do]. So I am happy to bat because had we won the toss, we anyway would have batted first.”Watch on ESPN Player in the UK

WATCH the second India vs Sri Lanka T20I LIVE

It’s possible Hardik was just playing mind games. But it’s true that batting first has been the Achilles’ heel for India in T20Is. They have lost eight games in multi-team T20I tournaments since March 31, 2016, when they lost to West Indies in the semi-final of the T20 World Cup. On all those occasions, they were batting first.Then, with Sri Lanka needing 13 from the final over as they chased 163 for victory, Hardik gave the ball to Axar Patel when he himself had an over left. Chamika Karunaratne pulled Axar’s third ball for a six to bring the equation down to five from three, but Axar held his nerve and did the job for India.At the post-match presentation, Hardik was asked why he took that gamble. One reason behind that could be that Hardik was struggling with cramps, but he again talked about challenging the players by creating tough situations.”How I am looking at all these games is, I want to put the team in difficult situations because it’s going to help us in big games,” he said. “Bilaterals are something which we are very good at, but this is how we are going to keep challenging ourselves. Yes, we might lose a game here and there, which is fine, I am okay with that, because in the long term, it’s going to help us to be ready for the big games whenever the opportunity comes.”2:09

Sangakkara: Hardik’s support role with the ball absolutely crucial for India

Earlier, with India defending a below-par 162, Hardik had set the tone with the ball, sending down three overs in the powerplay for just 12 runs. Not only did he get the ball to move away from the right-hand batters, but also swung it back, which was something new.”Since the time I have come back in the [2022] IPL, I have been bowling in the nets, and I have been bowling with the new ball only,” he said. “I have worked on my swing bowling and that [the inswinger] is the new ball that I have learnt.”I like bowling with the new ball because it allows me to swing the ball and challenge the batter. In that, if I can get a wicket here and there, it allows me to use other [seam] bowlers later in the innings.”It’s not known – though there has been some debate around it – if Hardik would continue as India’s T20I captain when Rohit Sharma returns. Still, he was asked if he was getting used to being addressed as India captain. “Now, yes, definitely,” he said with a smile.

Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has endured a difficult start to life at Old Trafford since he replaced Erik ten Hag in the dugout back in November.

The Portuguese boss has lost eight, and only won four, of his 15 matches in charge of the club in the Premier League, whilst his latest result was the 2-2 draw with Everton at Goodison Park.

Amorim has not been given too much to work with, though, as the Red Devils only made one significant addition in the January transfer window last month.

Manchester United swooped to sign 20-year-old left wing-back Patrick Dorgu from Serie A side Lecce for a reported fee of £25m to bolster the manager’s wide options.

Patrick Dorgu's form for Lecce

The Denmark international, who has only played two Premier League matches for United so far, started 21 matches in the Italian top-flight during the first half of the season.

Dorgu provided a decent threat as an attacking force for Lecce with a return of three goals, one assist, and one ‘big chance’ created from a left-back position.

He also made 3.0 tackles and interceptions per game and won 53% of his duels in total, which shows that the young talent offered quality in and out of possession for the Serie A side.

The Danish whiz will now be hoping to translate his qualities on and off the ball to the Premier League in the second half of this season to help improve Amorim’s side’s form in the division.

Where Are They Now

Manchester United, however, may have already fumbled an even bigger left-back talent than Dorgu when they decided to cash in on Spanish defender Alvaro Carreras to Benfica last summer.

The 21-year-old defender joined the Red Devils from Real Madrid in 2020 and enjoyed loan spells with Preston, Granada, and Benfica, before his permanent exit last year.

Alvaro Carreras' form this season

Benfica reportedly paid a fee of just £5m to sign him permanently and it was claimed in January that Real Madrid were interested in the defender, whose price tag has now soared to more than £40m.

That, immediately, suggests that United must regret cashing in on him for a fee of £5m as his current club believes that he is worth more than six times as much less than a year later.

The former Manchester United youngster’s form in the Portuguese top-flight this season, when compared to Dorgu’s in Italy, also suggests that he is even better than the £25m-rated January addition.

Appearances

21

22

Assists

1

1

Dribbled past per game

1x

0.6x

Tackles + interceptions per game

3.0

3.3

Ground duel success rate

52%

55%

Aerial duel success rate

57%

58%

As you can see in the table above, Carreras has been in fantastic form in the Liga Portugal for Benfica, winning the majority of his defensive duels whilst rarely being dribbled past by opposition players.

He could have been an even better option for Amorim, given his defensive superiority and similar levels of creativity, if Erik ten Hag had not already sold him last year.

Man Utd now willing to make offer to sign forward who embarrassed Bayindir

Ruben Amorim is stepping up his pursuit of firepower at Manchester United.

BySean Markus Clifford Feb 23, 2025

Jacek Kulig described him as a “monster in the making” earlier this season, and he is a ‘monster’ United have missed out on, selling him on the cheap only to go on to pay £25m for a player who does not appear to be an upgrade on the Spaniard.

The Red Devils must, therefore, regret cashing in on him and Amorim must be frustrated that he did not get the chance to work with him, given his form this season.

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca hailed Manuel Pellegrini as his "professional dad" before the Blues meet Real Betis in the Conference League final.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Maresca has a longstanding professional relationship with PellegriniExcited to go up against the Betis bossHailed Pellegrini for his honesty with playersFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Chelsea’s journey to the European summit clash was sealed with a composed 1-0 win over Swedish side Djurgardens at Stamford Bridge on Thursday. Awaiting them in the final is La Liga outfit Real Betis, after they edged out Fiorentina in a dramatic semi-final following a 4-3 aggregate triumph.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The relationship between Maresca and Pellegrini goes beyond standard professional camaraderie. The Chelsea boss played under the Chilean tactician during his time at Malaga and later worked alongside him as an assistant coach at West Ham United.

WHAT MARESCA SAID

Speaking to reporters, Maresca explained his emotional ties to the veteran manager, revealing that his late arrival at the press conference was due to him closely following Betis' extra-time victory.

"I'm happy to face Betis, especially because of Manuel Pellegrini. He is like my professional dad. So we'll be very happy," he said. "I had him four years, two as a player and two I was his coach, assistant coach. So I know exactly how he thinks about players, but the most important thing is that he's honest, he's a good person, he always tries to be honest with the player. And I try, personally, I try to learn a lot about his way."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

DID YOU KNOW?

While Maresca holds Pellegrini in the highest regard, he’s no stranger to the hostility likely awaiting him in the final. Before turning to coaching, the Italian enjoyed a successful playing career with Sevilla, the bitter cross-town rivals of Real Betis.

"I played four years for Sevilla, that is a big derby against Betis," he said. "We also won the derby 1-0, and I scored a goal. I know that they don't like me, they don't love me. I met my wife in Seville, she's from Seville. My first son born in Seville. I played for Seville, but no doubt that I want to win the final."

“We pick guys for a reason, we trust their skill,” Scorchers captain said of Connolly and Hobson

Tristan Lavalette05-Feb-2023Teenager Cooper Connolly had only faced 11 balls in his fledgling BBL career, but captain Ashton Turner remained confident that he could help power Perth Scorchers to a fifth title under immense pressure.Turner’s faith was justified when 19-year-old Connolly became an instant hero at a heaving Optus Stadium after combining with unheralded Nick Hobson to lift Scorchers past Brisbane Heat in an absorbing final.”We pick guys for a reason, we trust their skill. We don’t need to tell Cooper how to bat, how to play the situation,” Turner said after Scorchers chased down 176 runs to win by five wickets.Related

Turner fifty, Connolly cameo help Scorchers defend BBL crown

'Mate, we can do it. I have full faith in ourselves'

Peirson 'immensely proud' of Heat's late season revival despite falling short of title

“He’s a smart kid, he’s played enough cricket and he’s prepared himself for these moments.”If anything, if I tell him where he should be hitting the ball then he probably doesn’t play the shots we see tonight. That’s the beauty and the freedom of a young kid who’s just come onto the scene.”Scorchers’ latest BBL triumph was particularly satisfying because it reinforced their long-held core principles of building a reservoir of depth and sticking with homegrown talent.They had to lean on that after an injury-ravaged campaign, including losing star allrounder Mitchell Marsh for the entire season while spearhead Jhye Richardson didn’t return after suffering a hamstring strain mid-season.Cooper Connolly came out all guns blazing with a 11-ball cameo•Getty ImagesIt provided opportunities for Hobson, an accountant in his day job who played every match this season, and Connolly, Australia’s captain at last year’s Under-19 World Cup, who both have never played first-class cricket before.”We want players who are battle-hardened and ready for the international stage,” Turner said. “We have a lot of confidence in the guys we pick.”To get picked in our final XI, you’ve got to be a good player and we trust our selection processes and we trust what we’ve seen from these guys. The question is can they translate and perform in big moments?”Both Nick and Cooper have answered that question comprehensively.”Overshadowed by the dramatic finale, Turner had initially rescued Scorchers with a composed 53 off 32 balls on the back of a half-century under pressure in last year’s final against Sydney SixersThe Player-of-the-match performance capped a stunning season for the unassuming Turner, who has vaulted back into calculations for Australia’s T20 team strengthened by his impressive captaincy credentials.Turner played nine ODIs and 18 T20Is for Australia from 2017-21, but a form slump removed him from the selection frame.”It’s not so much a rescue mission as it may look from the outside – I’m doing my job,” Turner said about his ability to continually dig Scorchers out of trouble this season.”I said pre-game that great teams win big games and that was our responsibility tonight. We’ve been overwhelming favourites probably for the last few games we’ve entered.”It’s our responsibility to back that up and perform well. Fortunately we were able to do that.”While they bask in another triumph, planning will eventually start for Scorchers’ bid for a historic hat-trick of titles – a feat that has never been achieved in BBL history.”When BBL 13 comes along we will be well-planned, prepared and excited,” Turner said. “There will be more competition, we know that having been at the pinnacle of this competition for a couple of years that we will be the hunted and that’s okay. We’ll embrace that tag and we’ve got a lot of confidence in the depth of our squad.”

Sonia Bompastor's first season in charge ended in triumphant fashion on Sunday, as the English champions got their hands on yet another trophy

Chelsea clinched just a second-ever treble in the history of the women's team on Sunday, beating Manchester United 3-0 in the FA Cup final to also complete an incredible undefeated domestic season. The Blues have been a force in Sonia Bompastor's first year in charge, winning the Women's Super League title without losing a game after lifting the League Cup back in March, and it ended in the perfect way at Wembley as the English champions overcame the holders to win their sixth FA Cup.

It was a result that maintains Bompastor's perfect record in domestic finals, with her winning all three of those she oversaw at Lyon and her first two since last summer's switch to Chelsea. It wasn't as easy as the scoreline suggests, though. United started brightly and had a huge early chance when Dominique Janssen fired an effort just over the bar from the edge of the box. From there, though, the Blues grew into things well and started to really pepper the Red Devils' goal.

A breakthrough had been coming for a while when Sandy Baltimore finally found it, converting from the penalty spot on the stroke of half-time after a clumsy foul from Celin Bizet on Erin Cuthbert. There was a brief revival from United following the break, but alert goalkeeping from Hannah Hampton and smart game management from the dominant force in English women's football combined to see the game out rather comfortably.

Catarina Macario's late header then put the result beyond doubt, with Baltimore adding a third in stoppage time to put the gloss on a campaign of truly incredible domestic success for Bompastor's Blues.

GOAL rates Chelsea's players from Wembley Stadium…

Getty ImagesGoalkeeper & Defence

Hannah Hampton (7/10):

Didn't have too much to do but responded with exactly what was needed when called upon. Distributed the ball well, too.

Nathalie Bjorn (7/10):

Wasn't challenged much defensively but was great on the ball.

Millie Bright (7/10):

Moved the ball nicely as the centre piece in the back three.

Naomi Girma (7/10):

Dominant in her duels and solid in possession.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportMidfield

Lucy Bronze (7/10):

Took advantage of more attacking freedom and supported Beever-Jones well.

Keira Walsh (7/10):

Didn't steal the show but kept possession ticking over nicely with good vision and off-ball movement.

Erin Cuthbert (7/10):

Worked really hard in the middle of the park, regularly coming out on top in her individual duels.

Niamh Charles (7/10):

Looked more comfortable in this set-up than she has as an orthodox left-back in recent times, with her more effective here in both boxes.

AFPAttack

Aggie Beever-Jones (7/10):

Was Chelsea's brightest spark in the first half, combining well with Bronze and getting in behind United's defence often. Showed good footwork in tight spaces to get shots off, just lacked a goal.

Mayra Ramirez (7/10):

Caused Le Tissier and Turner real problems with her ability to hold the ball up and pounce on long passes in behind. Worked hard in the press, too.

Sandy Baltimore (8/10):

Drifted all over the park to find spaces where she could be a nuisance, and that she was. Took her penalty brilliantly, delivered a superb free-kick for Macario's goal and then added a third in stoppage time for good measure.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

AFPSubs & Manager

Catarina Macario (7/10):

Wasn't going to be as physically dominant as Ramirez but brought other things to the No.9 role in her half-hour, often drifting wide to pick up the ball and create chances. Netted a fantastic header to ensure victory.

Wieke Kaptein (N/A):

Brought plenty of energy to the latter stages of the game, delivering the cross that Baltimore converted to make it 3-0.

Guro Reiten (N/A):

Part of a triple sub in stoppage time.

Sjoeke Nusken (N/A):

Another late sub.

Johanna Rytting Kaneryd (N/A):

Completed that late trio of changes.

Sonia Bompastor (8/10):

It was a risk to deploy a formation she hasn't used all season long, with the only thing that came close being the three at the back played against Liverpool on the final day. But the extra attacking freedom it gave players like Beever-Jones and Baltimore really paid off and helped Chelsea deliver that third trophy of a fantastic season.