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Jamal Lewis now looks set to miss Newcastle United’s game at home to Manchester City in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.

The Lowdown: Starter under Howe

Since Eddie Howe’s appointment, Lewis has become a regular in the St. James’ Park faithful’s team.

The Northern Ireland international has started their last four games in the Premier League, where he was barely getting a look-in under Steve Bruce (Transfermarkt).

However, he was forced to come off early in their 3-1 loss away at Liverpool last time out, and now is an injury doubt ahead of their match at home to Man City.

The Latest: Not looking good

Speaking in his pre-game press conference ahead of the clash against Pep Guardiola’s men, Howe has now claimed that Lewis’ injury ‘looks bad’, and could be a ‘hamstring problem’.

The former AFC Bournemouth manager was ‘surprised’ because of how ‘athletic’ Lewis is, and added that he has been ‘excellent’ in his athletic work.

The Verdict: No problem

While losing Lewis could be a blow to the North East club’s hopes of getting anything from the reigning Premier League champions, they have a capable replacement in Matt Ritchie.

Howe thought that the Scotland international was ‘fantastic’ in replacing Lewis, emphasised by his high pass accuracy (76%), accurate long balls (three) and minimal possession losses (six) compared to the rest of his teammates on the night (SofaScore).

Nonetheless, Ritchie has two assists and has averaged more shots (0.7), key passes (1.9), dribbles (0.3). crosses (1.8) and long balls (2.6) than Lewis in the top flight so far this season (WhoScored), and so would pose more of an attacking threat if the Magpies do take their rare chances to get forward against the reigning champions.

In other news, find out which ‘sensational’ ace NUFC are now ‘closing in’ on signing here!

MatériaMais Notícias

A última semana de treinos do São Paulo nesta temporada já começa a indicar algumas mudanças para o próximo ano. Na reapresentação do elenco ao CT da Barra Funda após a vitória sobre o Coritiba, por 2 a 1, duas baixas foram notadas: os atacantes Gilberto e Denilson. A dupla foi liberada com uma semana de antecedência pela diretoria e está fora dos planos do Tricolor para o jogo de domingo, contra o Bahia, e também para 2018.

Titular no início do trabalho de Rogério Ceni, o centroavante Gilberto perdeu espaço no time após a contratação do argentino Lucas Pratto – ainda na primeira fase do Paulistão – e já havia avisado que iria seguir sua carreira em um outro clube a partir da próxima temporada. Revelado pelo Santa Cruz, o atleta chegou ao Morumbi no meio do ano passado. Vestindo a camisa tricolor, o atacante fez 15 gols em 45 partidas disputadas.

Em sua conta no Instagram, o atacante agradeceu a torcida são-paulina pelo apoio recebido durante toda a temporada, mesmo tendo ficado a maior parte do tempo no banco de reservas.

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Se a decisão de não jogar mais pelo São Paulo partiu de Gilberto, o mesmo não se pode dizer de seu companheiro de profissão. Emprestado pelo Granada, da Espanha, o atacante Denilson chegou ao Tricolor ainda com Ceni no comando, mas não justificou sua contratação e foi devolvido ao clube europeu. O jogador entrou em campo 12 vezes e fez apenas um gol. Aos 22 anos, o futuro do atleta ainda é desconhecido.

Quem está em situação parecida e muito próximo de deixar o São Paulo é o também atacante Marcinho, outro atleta trazido por Ceni por empréstimo. Após se destacar no São Bernardo, no Paulistão, o jogador, revelado nas categorias de base do rival Corinthians, foi integrado ao elenco tricolor e, no início, foi muito utilizado. Com a chegada de Dorival, no entanto, o atleta, de apenas 22 anos, perdeu espaço e virou presença quase sempre certa no banco de reservas. O jogador está no Reffis tratando de dores na coxa e, por isto, ainda não foi devolvido ao clube do ABC.

أعلن نادي أسوان اليوم الجمعة عن ضم محمد عطوة لاعب الجونة في صفقة تبادلية تمت بين الناديين خلال فترة الانتقالات الحالية.

وأوضح أسوان أنه أتم التعاقد مع محمد عطوة لمدة موسم على سبيل الاعارة، وذلك ضمن خطة تدعيمات الفريق الجنوبي استعداداً للمشاركة في الدوري الممتاز الموسم المقبل.

طالع أيضًا.. إيفونا: أسوان سيساعدني في العودة لمنتخب الجابون.. ورمضان صبحي مجنون

وأكد أسوان أن لاعبه محمد بكري انتقل لنادي الجونة على سبيل الإعارة أيضًا لمدة موسم.

وحضر توقيع عطوة على عقود انتقاله لنادي أسوان كل من ايهاب منصور عضو مجلس إدارة النادي وهيثم عرابي المدير الرياضي.

ولعب محمد عطوة لاكثر من نادي أبرزهم بيراميدز والاتحاد السكندري والمقاصة والجونة والرائد السعودي.

جدير بالذكر ان نادي اسوان تعاقد مع كل من المهاجم الجابوني ماليك ايفونا ومحمود عبد الحكيم والمغربي احمد بلحاج وابراهيم عايش ويوسف احمد حسن وميدو العطار وعبد الرحمن العشري وميدو مصطفى وصابر الشيمي ومحمد حمدي زكي وجمال السعيد واسلام صلاح وعماد فتحي والانجولي ديلسون كاموني وعلي فتحي فضلا عن عودة عبد العزيز موسى عقب انتهاء إعارته لايسترن كومباني.

Graeme Swann has joined Stuart Broad on the sidelines for the first two one-day internationals against South Africa, after failing to recover from the side strain that ruled him out of Tuesday’s warm-up match against South Africa A at Potchefstroom. James Tredwell has been drafted into the squad as cover.It means England will be without two key members of their squad for the series opener at the Wanderers on Friday. Broad had already been ruled out of the game after missing the Twenty20 series and two practice games, including Tuesday’s match. He incurred his shoulder problem while tumbling in the outfield during the first warm-up game in Bloemfontein.The England management reasoned that on a long tour with four Test matches after the five one-dayers, it was not worth risking such a crucial player. Broad, 23, voiced concerns at the beginning of the tour about player burnout and now has nine days to get himself ready for the third ODI in Cape Town.In better news for the injury-plagued tourists, Paul Collingwood hopes to overcome a back injury in time for Friday’s series opener, in which he could become England’s most-capped one-day player. He is currently level with Alec Stewart on 170 matches and is confident about his chances of making Friday’s match.”[The injury] is actually progressing really well. If I was playing today I would have been 50-50, but I’ve got a couple of days to go so the chances are going to be very high,” Collingwood told reporters in Johannesburg. “It was very, very sore on Sunday and I had two injections on Monday [but] everything seems to have settled down. I’m doing the work in the gym and progressing really well, so I’ve got a very good chance for Friday.”Collingwood was one of five players unfit for England’s tense victory over South Africa A on Tuesday and injuries have blunted England’s attack. With the injuries to Broad and James Anderson, England have been unable to bowl sides out so far on this tour, and with Sajid Mahmood and Tim Bresnan failing to impress, the selectors have called up Liam Plunkett as cover.They had already opted for youth ahead of this tour, ditching Steve Harmison and Ryan Sidebottom and given the strength of South Africa’s batting, it could be a tough experience for the inexperienced line-up. But Collingwood is not concerned and feels Anderson will play a pivotal role when he does return.”I think we’re aggressive as a unit, I think we’re getting more experience and we’ve obviously got Jimmy Anderson to come back into the side, which is crucial. He’s a real kind of leader for us now in terms of the bowling stakes. For such a young guy, I know that’s a big statement, but he is a real leader in bowling.”But again, we’ve got a lot of potential and very dangerous bowlers, obviously with Broady coming back in as well. We have missed those two when they were injured. Hopefully they will be fit pretty soon and we can get back to bowling sides out.”

West Zone

Mumbai’s powerful top-order delivered to set up a comfortable 32-run victory over Baroda in their opening match in Pune. Openers Paul Valthaty (45-ball 70) and Wasim Jaffer (31-ball 37) piled on 106 by the 11th over, before Baroda captain Yusuf Pathan removed both in two successive overs. There was no slowing the pace, though, as Rohit Sharma hammered 47 off 26 deliveries to take Mumbai to 190 despite a flurry of late wickets. Baroda started chasing the stiff target aggressively, but they were undermined by a steady fall of wickets, and the fact that none of their batsmen carried on after getting starts. Ajit Agarkar took three important wickets to be Mumbai’s standout bowler. The match was also Zaheer Khan’s first after the World Twenty20 in June; he had a low-key outing, though he grabbed the big wicket of Pathan.The zone’s other match of the day followed a similar pattern, Gujarat amassing 191 before cruising to a 28-run win over Maharashtra. It was the top order which did the job for Gujarat; opener Parthiv Patel making a 36-ball 49 and No. 3 Niraj Patel top-scoring with a 40-ball 54, powering the side to 191. Like Baroda, Maharashtra’s chase started in earnest but regular wickets – they lost three in the space of seven deliveries from 71 for 1 – meant the pace slackened. Only one of the top five made it past 20, effectively ending Mahrashtra’s chances.

East Zone

Sairaj Bahutule’s 4 for 19 was the standout performance as Assam convincingly beat Orissa by seven wickets at the Railway Stadium in Dhanbad. Choosing to bat, the Orissa innings never really got going with seamers Priyam Das and Abu Nechim doing the early damage. Bahutule then added to Orissa’s woes denting the middle order severely. The batsmen floundered against his leg spin, with Rashmi Das contributing the highest of 19 to the well below-par score of 83. Parvez Aziz led a solid reply for Assam even as they lost two wickets with the score on 41. He struck three fours and two sixes during his 42-ball 37, before Deepak Sharma sealed the win with a quick unbeaten 22, including four boundaries.Tripura were shot out by Jharkhand for a paltry 30, the lowest-ever Twenty20 score, at the same city. Read the report here.

North Zone

Delhi scored a comfortable 49-run win over Jammu and Kashmir at the Palam B Ground in Delhi. Opener Shikhar Dhawan starred with a half-century and was supported by contributions from Rajat Bhatia (42 not out), Farman Ahmed (29) and Mayank Tehlan (23 not out) to lift Delhi to a match-winning score of 167. J&K’s reply was lacklustre, with Pradeep Sangwan (3 for 25) and Bhatia (2 for 14) causing the early damage. Amit Baloria top scored with an unbeaten 31 but there was little backing from the other end, and J&K were bowled out for 118.Captain Paras Dogra and Vikramjeet Malik shone for Himachal Pradesh, as they beat Services by 14 runs in a low-scoring encounter in Delhi. Dogra struck three fours and a six in his unbeaten 54 and was involved in a partnership of 65 with opener Mukesh Sharma (39). The pair helped HP post a competitive score of 135, which proved too many for Services. Only Yashpal Singh fought hard with a 41-ball 58, as Malik (3 for 14) and Jitender Mehta shared five wickets to bowl the opposition out for 121.Punjab emerged triumphant against neighbours Haryana by nine wickets in Delhi. Medium-pacer Love Ablish took 5 for 20 to keep Haryana down to 111, opener Rahul Dewan top scoring with a run-a-ball 35. Haryana needed early breakthroughs to put pressure on Punjab, but that didn’t happen. Ravi Inder Singh blazed to 69 in 54 balls and added 79 with opener Sunny Sohal (27) to shut out any hopes Haryana may have had of fighting back after a disappointing batting display.

Central Zone

A combined batting effort from Railways led by Sanjay Bangar’s 35-ball 57 handed them a convincing 26-run win over Uttar Pradesh in Indore. TP Singh (34) and wicketkeeper Dhiran Salvi (28) rallied around Bangar to take Railways to a challenging 173. Piyush Chawla was UP’s best player, taking 3 for 35 and chipping in with a 16-ball 25 in the chase. He had added 47 for the fourth wicket with Parvinder Singh (51 not out), but a middle-order collapse, where UP lost four wickets for 18 runs, shut them out of the game.

MatériaMais Notícias

Contratado pelo Botafogo em julho, em troca que envolveu a saída de Camilo, Brenner está emprestado pelo Internacional até o fim de 2018. Mas o centroavante, que já marcou três vezes e tem a missão de substituir Roger, fez até o pai vascaíno virar botafoguense, e a filha Luna segue o mesmo caminho. Ele quer ter vida longa no Alvinegro Carioca.

O início avassalador no Colorado não teve sequência, mas a mudança para o Rio é vista pelo novo camisa 9 do Glorioso como um passo importante. Entre planos pessoais e coletivos, ele espera agradar e continuar comemorando, como fez contra a Ponte Preta e contra o Vitória, duas vezes, na última rodada.

Até 2016 você era um jogador desconhecido. O ano virou, você se destacou no Inter, chegou ao Botafogo e ainda está ganhando destaque. É um divisor de águas na sua carreira?
Está sendo muito especial. Eu quis vir para o Botafogo. Estava em grande fase no Inter, mas acabei perdendo espaço. Atacante vive de gols. A partir do momento que soube do convite, falei para o meu empresário: quero ir. Sem dúvidas, fiz uma grande escolha e estou feliz aqui no Botafogo. E espero continuar fazendo gols.

Como foi o convite para jogar no Botafogo e porque aceitou? O que te encheu os olhos?
Quando o Sassá saiu, fiquei sabendo do interesse, mas o Inter não me liberou. Depois houve novo contato e eu falei para o meu empresário que eu queria vir. Estava sem espaço no Inter e o Botafogo na Libertadores e no Brasileirão, em grande fase. Lógico que aceitei. Fiz a melhor escolha.

Como você tem lidado com a fama repentina?
Foi um pouco estranho no Internacional. Saí do Juventude e, no início deste ano, fiz muito gols. Uns 13 em 10 jogos. Era muito assédio até no supermercado. Agora no Botafogo, estou começando a passar por isso, pois estou começando a fazer gols. As pessoas começam a te olhar diferente. Eu sei lidar com isso. Sou um cara de cabeça boa. Não vou me perder.

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“Estou muito feliz. Quero muito ficar aqui. É um clube que me acolhe muito bem. Tenho prazer de vir pra cá trabalhar, treinar. E a torcida sempre nos apoia”

Há um mês, você virou pai da Luna. Ela será botafoguense?
Certamente. No último domingo, no jogo contra o Vitória, postei uma foto dela com a camisa do Botafogo. Quero dedicar muitos gols para ela.

Você está emprestado pelo Inter até o fim do ano que vem. Mas você está gostando de jogar aqui? Está feliz? Quer fazer história?
Estou muito feliz. Quero muito ficar aqui. É um clube que me acolhe muito bem. Tenho prazer de vir pra cá trabalhar, treinar. E a torcida sempre nos apoia.

No Inter, você sempre falava que tinha muito apoio do ex-atacante Iarley. E aqui no Botafogo: Tem algum paizão?
Ninguém em especial. O grupo é muito unido. Todos me ajudam e se ajudam. Esse é o nosso diferencial. Desde os mais velhos, como Carli e Jefferson, ao João Paulo e o Emerson Silva… todos se ajudam e me fazem sentir bem. A comissão técnica também ajuda muito.

No Inter, você tinha muitos apelidos e comparações com outros centroavantes. E aqui no Botafogo, já recebeu comparações? Gostaria de receber?
Deixa só Brenner mesmo (risadas). A imprensa gaúcha que ficava me chamando de Brennerdowski e Ibrahimobrenner. Deixem o Brenner trabalhando quietinho para sempre fazer gols. Esses trocadilhos a gente deixa para a torcida.

Qual o seu estilo? Quais seus pontos fortes? E os fracos?
Não sou um centroavante paradão. Gosto muito de voltar para buscar a bola. Se ela não chega, fico impaciente, volto parabuscá-la. Às vezes, vou até para o meio para confundir a marcação. Gosto muito da minha finalização e creio que o meu pior fundamento seja o cabeceio, mas venho trabalhando firme para melhorar. Eu tenho que fazer a bola entrar de qualquer jeito, do jeito que ela vier. Eu sou pago para isso.

Na Libertadores, você entrou no segundo jogo contra o Grêmio. Pela sua passagem pelo Inter, ficou com uma vontade extra de fazer gol na Arena do rival?
Isso acontece mais quando é Gre-Nal. Mas talvez tenha tido essa vontade sim, porque fiz gol contra o Grêmio e eles ainda pegaram no meu pé. Iria comemorar muito, mas principalmente por colocar o Botafogo na semifinal. Merecíamos passar, mas futebol nem sempre é merecimento. Essa rivalidade já é passado. Agora é trabalhar para recolocar o Fogão na Libertadores.

Está gostando do Rio?
Sim, é uma cidade tranquila. Mas estou sempre de casa para o trabalho. Só de vez em quando que eu saio para comer, para ir à praia. Só fui à praia duas vezes.

“Não sou um centroavante paradão. Gosto muito de voltar para buscar a bola. Se ela não chega, fico impaciente, volto para buscá-la. Às vezes, vou até para o meio para confundir a marcação.”

O que passou na sua cabeça quando marcou o seu primeiro, contra a Ponte Preta?
Alívio. Estava há uns cinco meses sem marcar, e centroavante vive de gols. Veja o Fred. Ele está há um tempo sem marcar e é o Fred, hein…Isso acontece com todos os centroavantes. E, quando marcamos, vem um alívio.

Como você soube da doença do Roger? Isso uniu mais o time?
Sem dúvidas. Ele é um cara importante, uma liderança. Nós jamais vamos esquecer dele. Estamos orando por ele e ele vai vencer essa doença. Ano que vem estará aqui conosco. Soube pela imprensa mesmo. Depois ele veio aqui no Nilton Santos e nos contou.

É possível formar uma dupla de ataque com ele?
Nada é impossível. Se eu fizer gols e ele também, vai ser possível e o Jair vai ter que nos escalar (risos). Ele vai ter uma boa dúvida. Uma hora um volta, outra hora ele volta. É só conversar, mas é claro que, em alguns jogos, não vai dar para jogarmos juntos. Depende de contra quem vamos jogar. Vamos deixar o Jair com essa pulga atrás da orelha.

Substituir o Roger, um cara tão querido, é o maior desafio da sua carreira?
Será complicado e será um bom desafio. Assemelha-se à pressão no Inter, de voltar à Série B. Ele é um grande jogador. Tenho que fazer gols para mostrar à torcida que dou conta do recado.

Você tem dois gols de pênalti. É um diferencial? Dá para roubar o cargo de Henrique Dourado, o rei do Rio neste quesito?
Ele não errou nenhum. Deixem esse título pra ele. Sempre bati pênalti, desde a juventude. Tenho que trabalhar e aproveitar que treino com o Jefferson e com o Gatito. Se a gente faz, é nossa obrigação; se perde, é questionado. Tenho que me aperfeiçoar e, às vezes, mudar o estilo para confundir o goleiro.

Você fazia gol no Inter e o Colorado vencia. Aqui no Botafogo ainda falta unir vitória e gol (derrotas para Ponte Preta e Vitória). O que falta?
É só coincidência (risos). Tenho que continuar trabalhando. Quem sabe, contra a Chapecoense, eu marque e o time vença?

For the second time in four years, the destination of the Ashes will be decided at the same venue where the legend was conceived way back in 1882

Andrew Miller19-Aug-2009Match factsThursday, August 20-24, 2009
Start time 11.00 (10.00 GMT)One final Ashes hurrah for Andrew Flintoff?•Getty Images

Big PictureFor the second time in four years, the destination of the Ashes will be decided at the same venue where the legend was conceived way back in 1882. In 2005, The Oval in South London was the stage for one of the most wildly celebrated draws of all time, as a jittery England overcame their final-day nerves, thanks to an eye-poppingly aggressive 158 from Kevin Pietersen, a performance that carried his team clear of disaster and all the way to an open-top bus parade through Trafalgar Square the following morning.This time, Pietersen will not be around to mop his colleagues’ brows – his dodgy right Achilles underwent surgery after the second Test, and he might not even be fit in time for the tour to South Africa this winter. Instead, all of England’s hopes and prayers are invested in their other modern-day colossus, Andrew Flintoff, who missed the fourth-Test debacle at Headingley due to doubts about his right knee, but is certain to be thrust into the fray for what is scheduled to be his final Test appearance.Flintoff has said that success in this summer’s Ashes would be an achievement to surpass even his magnificent performance four years ago, and those sentiments have been echoed by Australia’s captain, Ricky Ponting, who has spent most of the year playing down the significance of that defeat, but has now gone on record as saying that this week is the perfect opportunity for vengeance. The quality of the cricket may not have touched the heights we saw when Australia were last on England’s shores, but the level of competitiveness has scarcely diminished a notch.Form guide (last five matches, most recent first)England – LDWDW
Australia – WDLDLWatch out for…Jonathan Trott: A Test debut is, by its very nature, an anxious occasion, but spare a thought for England’s 645th and latest selection. At the age of 28, and with nearly a decade of first-class experience to fall back on, including a stellar 2009 in which he has averaged more than 80 to date, Trott is as well prepared as he could possibly hope to be for such an auspicious occasion. But there’s no way that this was part of England’s summer masterplan. The loss of Pietersen, and the abject failure of a supine middle-order at Headingley, has forced the selectors into a drastic selection. Still, South African-born batsmen have a handy record in Oval Ashes deciders, so that’s something.Mitchell Johnson: Try as we might, it’s been hard to tear our eyes away from Johnson’s travails this summer. At Cardiff he was poor, at Lord’s he was appalling. At Edgbaston he showed signs of a resurgence but was still clobbered at five runs an over. And then at Headingley, everything clicked. Suddenly he was fast and straight, with a vicious bouncer and devastating late swing from a full length, and he was too good for England’s abject batsmen. A five-wicket haul was the reward for his – and the selectors’ – perseverance, and at last the hype that had accompanied him back from South Africa seemed justified. More of the same at The Oval, and England may struggle to stay in the contest.Team newsTrott’s debut is the big news, Flintoff’s return is the secondary story. Ian Bell’s promotion to No. 3 has raised an array of eyebrows from those who’ve studied his average in that position (31.00) and ascertained that he is a glug of ketchup short of a full bottle, and the identity of the fifth bowler remains the mystery to keep us on our toes until the toss. Monty Panesar is in the frame as a potential second spinner, Ryan Sidebottom is lurking to provide some extra lateral movement. More likely, however, is Steve Harmison’s retention on a ground that suits his style, with the unlucky Graham Onions returning to the bench through no fault of his own.England (probable) 1 Andrew Strauss (capt), 2 Alastair Cook, 3 Ian Bell, 4 Paul Collingwood, 5 Jonathan Trott, 6 Matt Prior (wk), 7 Andrew Flintoff, 8 Stuart Broad, 9 Graeme Swann, 10 James Anderson, 11 Steve Harmison.All week the talk from the Australian camp has left English observers incredulous. How could they possibly contemplate leaving out Stuart Clark, a player with 29 wickets in six Ashes Tests, and the man whose straight lines and subtle swing goaded his colleagues into abandoning their scattergun approach at Headingley, to dramatically successful effect. Two players, however, are competing for a recall. Brett Lee, the reverse-swing specialist, as Ricky Ponting described him this week, and Nathan Hauritz, the unassuming spinner who has been working on his strategies with Saqlain Mushtaq. Hauritz is probably the likeliest to return, but an all-seam attack deserves to remain the attack of choice.Australia (probable) 1 Simon Katich, 2 Shane Watson, 3 Ricky Ponting (capt), 4 Michael Hussey, 5 Michael Clarke, 6 Marcus North, 7 Brad Haddin (wk), 8 Mitchell Johnson, 9 Stuart Clark, 10 Peter Siddle, 11 Ben Hilfenhaus.Pitch and conditionsDry and bare, but invariably a true wicket, The Oval offers rewards to sides who risk two spinners, but there is plenty of bounce and carry for the seamers on either side as well. “Any bowler who is not on top of their game can expect to be punished, particularly once the batsmen are in,” Chris Adams, Surrey’s cricket manager, told Cricinfo. “Australia certainly have in-form batsmen at the moment, and it could be quite painful for the bowlers if they’re allowed to get set.”The big concern for both teams, but especially England who desperately need to win, is the weather forecast. It has been glorious in London all week, but the rain is set to return with a vengeance this week.Stats and trivia England have won 37 and lost 18 of the 91 matches they have played at The Oval, while Australia won 6 and lost 15 out of 34. With three wins, two draws and one defeat since 1985, it is England’s most successful Ashes venue in recent times.In the four Tests in the series so far, Australia’s fast bowlers – Ben Hilfenhaus, Peter Siddle, Johnson and Clark – have averaged 28.11 per wicket for their 53 scalps. England’s fast men – James Anderson, Onions, Stuart Broad, Flintoff and Harmison – have conceded more than 37 runs per wicket.For a full stats preview click here.Quotes”There is nothing bigger than playing a deciding Test in an Ashes series, and you have to grab these moments when they present themselves because you may never experience such a match ever again.”
“If we win this one it will be a far greater achievement than 2005. That was fantastic but the side had performed well over a period of time and we’d beaten everyone in the world.”

New Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira made an impressive start to his squad overhaul in the summer, but there’s still work to be done in the upcoming transfer windows.

One reported target who the capital club were unable to bring to Selhurst Park a few months ago was Sassuolo winger Jeremie Boga.

The highly-rated 24-year-old was linked with a move to Palace throughout the summer, and the Italian outfit’s chief executive Giovanni Carnevali admitted he was one of three stars to ask for a move away from the Mapei Stadium.

“Just like (Manuel) Locatelli and (Dominico) Berardi, Boga also asked us to try other experiences,” Carnevali revealed. “We listened to him and the agents – but no concrete offers have arrived.”

With the Ivory Coast international still believed to be keen on a fresh challenge, Palace may be tempted to revive their interest in Boga over the winter and make a formal offer for his services.

Vieira could now really do with a player of this calibre.

The former Chelsea youngster made a solid contribution during his maiden campaign in Serie A after arriving back in July 2018 before backing it up with 11 goals and four assists in his second season.

And although the tricky forward’s productivity dropped slightly throughout 2020/21, his overall game was more impressive than the numbers suggest.

Boga completed 3.2 dribbles per game last season, far more than any of his Sassuolo teammates achieved and also successfully dribbled past 91 opponents, the third-highest number in the Italian top division.

He’s backed that up with three assists in his first seven top-flight appearances this term, indicating the level of talent that Palace would be getting if they rekindle their interest in the player.

With Wilfried Zaha continuously linked with a move away from his boyhood club, Boga could take over the reins on the left-wing, and form a formidable duo with fellow wideman Michael Olise.

Olise has lit up south London since arriving from Reading, and the 19-year-old is expected to play a pivotal part in Palace’s exciting future, and the arrival of the £18m-rated Boga could help to elevate the teenagers game to another level.

And, in other news…“People are watching him”: Sky Sports journo drops claim, Palace fans will be worried 

West Brom were relegated back into the Championship last season as they were unable to retain their Premier League status. It was a disappointing year which saw them finish 19th, 13 points off safety.

The Baggies were second in the Championship in the 2019/20 campaign. It is a division they know very well. This time the club will be hoping they can claim the title as well as promotion back into the lucrative land of the Premier League.

The Midlands club have made a positive start to their season. They have won seven of their opening 13 matches, which leaves them second in the standings, behind only Bournemouth. West Brom have English Championship betting odds of 17/10 for the title. They are odds-on at 2/5 in the promotion betting, such is the confidence behind them.

Valerien Ismael’s side have lost just two games so far through the opening three months of the Championship season. They lost 0-1 to Stoke in a tight Midlands derby, while more recently they were defeated by Swansea City.

Summer Signings Have Bolstered The Squad

West Brom did some smart business during the summer and they have added players who have not only strengthened the squad, they have also added depth in all areas. Alex Mowatt was one of their new additions. He arrived on a free transfer from Barnsley to hook up with his former head coach again.

Mowatt has been impressive for the Baggies, scoring three goals in the league. He has scored two fantastic goals, both of which could be contenders for the goal of the season. Those strikes came from outside the box and have been on the volley. They are a great example of how technically gifted the midfielder is.

Another notable signing for the Baggies came through the loan market. They signed Norwich’s Jordan Hugill until the end of the season. The forward played an instrumental role in helping Norwich win the Championship title last year. He played 31 games for the Canaries during their promotion campaign.

Goals Spread Amongst Team

Unlike some of their promotion rivals, West Brom have shared the goals amongst their squad so far this season. This means they are not reliant on one player. Karlan Grant leads the way with six Championship goals. He is a striker who is proven in this division as the last time he played in the second tier, he scored 19 goals for Huddersfield.

Callum Robinson and Matt Phillips have both had good starts to the season. They have supported Grant well, operating as a front three in many games. Both players have lots of experience of playing in the Premier League so should find this level much easier.

At the other end of the pitch, West Brom did well to retain goalkeeper Sam Johnstone over the summer. He was their Player of the Year last season. If they can make a quick return to the Premier League, he will get to prove himself again as one of the best ‘keepers in England.

Promotion is the minimum aim for West Brom this season but if they can do it as the champions this time, it will be the cherry on the cake at the end of the campaign.

John Ward reports from the first day between Nottinghamshire and Durham at Trent Bridge

John Ward at Trent Bridge15-Jul-2009
ScorecardDale Benkenstein drives during his fine hundred•Getty ImagesAt present, Nottinghamshire look like the only team capable of challenging Durham, the reigning champions and current leaders in the county table. Twenty five points adrift, but with two matches in hand, this is a crucial match for Nottinghamshire that could play a major part in deciding the Championship. Both teams have ample reserves, especially in pace bowling: Durham are without Steve Harmison and Graham Onions, Nottinghamshire without Stuart Broad, and they could still afford to leave out Darren Pattinson and the promising Luke Fletcher.Despite their rich bowling resources, though, the home side had to bow to the Durham batting pair of Will Smith and Dale Benkenstein. They pulled their side out of a degree of early trouble with a fine, if at times dogged, partnership of 193 for the fourth wicket; if they did not score quickly enough, on a pitch not really conducive to fast scoring, they laid what should have been a good foundation for a potential victory. However, their position was spoiled by the events of the last five minutes of play when both fell to Mark Ealham to leave honours even after the first day.Presumably expecting the ball to swing – which it did to some extent – the home side put Durham in to bat on winning the toss. The early swing was not so excessive as to trouble the batsmen unduly, and for a while Mark Di Venuto and Mark Stoneman played confidently, keeping the score moving by pushing for singles and dispatching loose balls for four, mainly to leg and through the covers. Di Venuto did survive one fortuitous edge between second and third slip to the boundary, off Charlie Shreck.Ryan Sidebottom bowled well in his opening spell of eight overs for 11 runs, although he does have a habit of bowling just wide enough of a left-hander’s off stump for the batsman to shoulder arms. He struck a significant blow by removing Di Venuto, however, who was trapped lbw on his crease for 22. This slowed the scoring rate and the Durham innings lost momentum. Stoneman fell for 24, driving half-heartedly against the steady medium-pace of Andre Adams, who took a smart return catch. Gordon Muchall produced two superb cover drives for four, but he did not last long; at 10 he badly misjudged a drive and was caught at the wicket off the inside edge.Durham were now struggling at 63 for 3, and with the accurate seam and swing of Adams and Ealham in tandem, runs were hard to come by, especially on a pitch where the ball did not come too readily on to the bat. The batsmen were showing signs of frustration at times, but Smith and Benkenstein, present and past captains, survived until lunch – when the score was 69 for 3 – and after the break the latter at least found the going rather easier. He had started slowly, but now played some impressive strokes, most notably an effortless pull for six off Adams. Ealham, however, continued to bowl with great economy. Benkenstein reached his 50 off 93 balls, while Smith was still struggling in the twenties. Their 100 partnership took them 227 balls.Not a wicket fell during the afternoon session, and in the first over after tea Smith pulled the off-spinner Samit Patel for four to reach a 50 that took him 159 balls. But he was now catching up Benkenstein, who was rather becalmed and when on 73 almost fell to a brilliant diving attempt at midwicket, the fielder being just unable to hold on to the ball. After leaving the seventies, he was untroubled by the second new ball and progressed steadily to his century, which came with a cover-drive for four off Ealham, from 223 balls. Soon afterwards, though, he played over a ball from Ealham that kept slightly low and was bowled for 105, just before the close of play.Durham would have been well placed had this pair been able to survive the day, but in the final over the gallant Smith, who rarely looked in his best form, groped outside the off stump to a ball from Ealham that moved away, edging a simple catch to the keeper. So the home side walked off the field in unexpected relief and encouragement, and, as far as can be judged, the first day’s play of this significant match ended with honours about even.