Harry Kane made the difference yet again with two late goals as England beat Albania 2-0 in their final World Cup qualifier and made history in the process. The captain broke the deadlock from close range in the 74th minute then netted a header eight minutes later to ensure Thomas Tuchel's side became the first European team to win every game in a World Cup qualification campaign without conceding a goal.
The Three Lions produced an unflattering display overall in a match which had nothing riding on it as they had secured qualification last month while Albania were already assured of a play-off spot. Dean Henderson did his part in keeping the all-important eighth consecutive clean sheet with an excellent display, especially in the second half, before Kane got the breakthrough goal in
The striker turned in a Bukayo Saka corner in the 75th minute and seven minutes later he nodded home a cross from substitute Marcus Rashford. It was far from a statement performance, but it means England head to North America as one of the teams to beat.
GOAL rates England's players from Air Albania Stadium…
AFP
Goalkeeper & Defence
Dean Henderson (8/10):
Put under the cosh early in the second half and dealt with it well, making an impressive stop from Hoxha before coming out of his area to make a vital tackle on Laci. His first clean sheet in a third England start and a happier occasion than his last game against Senegal.
Jarell Quansah (6/10):
A competent albeit unremarkable debut from the Bayer Leverkusen defender. Didn't show loads of ambition going forward although dealt well with the danger coming down his side.
John Stones (6/10):
Played an advanced role, frequently pushing into midfield and rotating with Wharton. He gave England extra presence going forward but it didn't help them break down Albania for much of the game.
Dan Burn (5/10):
Struggled at times, particularly when Albania made a good start to the second half. A display which underlined why he is a squad player more than a starter.
Nico O'Reilly (7/10):
A positive second start for England after making his debut on Thursday, getting forward frequently and looking hard to beat. Looks a strong contender to be the first-choice left-back at the World Cup right now.
Advertisement
Getty Images Sport
Midfield
Declan Rice (6/10):
Far from his most memorable England display as he didn't influence the play or have his usual attacking input, and yet still did little wrong.
Jude Bellingham (7/10):
A lively performance which was a reminder of how important he can be for England all over the pitch, even if things didn't quite come off for him going forward.
Adam Wharton (6/10):
Made his long-awaited first start for England, and although he didn't do much wrong, he didn't quite live up to the hype around him or give Anderson too much to worry about.
Getty Images Sport
Attack
Jarrod Bowen (6/10):
Had England's best chance of the first half when he forced Strakosha to fly across goal and turn away his shot.
Harry Kane (7/10):
It was the story of much of his England career. Did very little of note over the 90 minutes but came up with the goods thanks to his sheer know-how in the penalty area and then added an impressive second with his head.
Eberechi Eze (5/10):
A disappointing display as a starter, not looking on the same page as Rice and fluffing his only chance when he failed to beat Strakosha from close range. Replaced by Saka in the 62nd minute.
ENJOYED THIS STORY?
Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting
Getty Images Sport
Subs & Manager
Phil Foden (6/10):
Gave England a bit more spark in attack with his movement, albeit without having much tangible impact.
Bukayo Saka (6/10):
Botched one half-chance and one great opportunity after replacing Eze, but went some way to making up for it by putting in the delivery for the crucial opening goal.
Marcus Rashford (8/10):
An excellent impact from the bench as he energised England's left side and put in a perfect cross for Kane as well as flashing a shot just wide.
Elliot Anderson (N/A):
Introduced in the 75th minute and helped England win a sixth consecutive game he has participated in.
Morgan Rogers (N/A):
Replaced Bellingham in the 84th minute.
Thomas Tuchel (6/10):
Made seven changes from the Serbia game and it showed as his side had their lowest expected goals total of his tenure in the first half. The overall performance highlighted a lack of strength-in-depth, but his substitutions helped get the job done and he has his own little piece of history to hold on to no matter what happens next summer.
Australia become the first team to score 350-plus in three successive ODIs
Sampath Bandarupalli28-Oct-2023771 – The match aggregate during the Australia-New Zealand match in Dharamsala. It is now the highest aggregate for a men’s ODI World Cup match, bettering the 754 during the South Africa-Sri Lanka game in Delhi earlier in this tournament.383 for 9 – New Zealand’s total is the highest by any team in a chase at the ODI World Cup. It is also the highest total by any team against Australia at the World Cup, surpassing India’s 352 for 5 in 2019. Only once New Zealand have posted a higher total at the World Cup – 393 for 6 against West Indies in 2015.32 – Sixes hit during the match – the second-most in a World Cup game, behind the 33 sixes between England and Afghanistan in Manchester in 2019.77 – Balls Rachin Ravindra needed for his century, the fastest for New Zealand in the ODI World Cup, improving his own record of 82 balls against England in the opening match of this edition. It is also the fastest century against Australia at the World Cup; the previous fastest was off 82 balls by Clive Llyod in the 1975 final.1 – Mitchell Starc went wicketless for the first time in his 24-match ODI World Cup career. His streak of taking at least one wicket in 23 matches is the best for any bowler.20 – Sixes hit by Australia – the most by them in an ODI, surpassing the 19 they hit against India in 2013 and Pakistan in 2023, both in Bangalore. These are also the most sixes hit by any team against New Zealand in an ODI innings, surpassing the 19 by India earlier this year in Indore.388 – Australia’s total is the highest by any team against New Zealand in ODI World Cup, surpassing their effort of 348 for 6 in 2007. It is also the third-highest total for any team against New Zealand in ODIs.Getty Images3 – Number of consecutive 350-plus totals by Australia, following up their 367 for 9 against Pakistan and 399 for 8 against Netherlands. They are the first team to score 350-plus in three successive ODIs.Getty Images59 – Number of balls Travis Head needed for his century, the fastest by an opening batter at the World Cup, betting Rohit Sharma’s 63-ball ton against Afghanistan earlier in this edition. It is also the fastest on World Cup debut, a record previously held by David Miller off 81 balls against Zimbabwe in 2015.1 – Head’s 59-ball hundred is also the third-fastest by any batter against New Zealand in ODIs. Thisara Perera’s 57-ball century in 2019 is the fastest against them, while Jonny Bairstow took 58 balls in 2018. Today’s was the fastest against them in World Cups – the previous fastest-recorded century against New Zealand in the showpiece event was by Carlos Brathwaite – off 80 balls in the 2019 edition.25 – Balls Head needed for his fifty, the fastest by a World Cup debutant. The previous fastest in the category was by Rilee Rossouw – 31 balls against West Indies in the 2015 edition. It is also the joint-second fastest fifty for Australia in the World Cup overall, behind Glenn Maxwell’s 21-ball effort against Afghanistan in 2015.118 – Runs scored by Australia in the first ten overs, which is the second-most in this period by any team in an ODI World Cup game since 1999. The highest is 119 by West Indies, who scored those against Canada in 2003.These are also the joint-third most runs in the first ten overs of an ODI innings overall and the highest for Australia (where ball-by-ball data is available). It is also the first time New Zealand conceded 100-plus runs inside the first ten overs of an ODI innings.10 – Sixes hit by Australian batters in the first ten overs are the joint-most by any team in an ODI innings (where ball-by-ball data is available). West Indies also hit ten sixes in their first ten overs against England in 2019.1 – Number of previous instances of both opening batters completing their fifties inside 30 balls in an ODI innings. Mitchell Marsh and Head needed 28 and 29 balls for their half-centuries against India earlier this year in Visakhapatnam, while it was 28 for Warner and 25 for Head today.1 – Number of all-out totals in ODIs higher than Australia’s 388. The highest is 389 by West Indies against England in 2019, in pursuit of 419.
DETROIT — One game. One pitcher. One legacy. As if using a geodetic coordinate system, the American League division series between the Tigers and Mariners has arrived at a pinpoint of a place. Game 5 Friday in Seattle is about Tarik Skubal.
The Tigers ace has made his case over the past two and a half years that he is the best pitcher on the planet. Great. But it’s not enough.
Now, for the second time in 363 days, he will have the ball in his hands in a winner-take-all game. The last time was a bust.
Given a 1–0 lead in the fifth inning against Cleveland in Game 5 of the 2024 ALDS, Skubal coughed up the game in a horrific six-batter sequence: single, strikeout, single, single, hit by pitch, grand slam. Five runs. Lead and game gone in 18 pitches. Drive home safely.
His teammates rustled up a mulligan for him with a syzygy of a rally in ALDS Game 4 against the Mariners Wednesday. Just when the Tigers appeared dead, looking at a 3–0 deficit and staring at the last 15 outs of their season, they came together as weirdly and powerfully as an alignment of celestial bodies. Out of nowhere, they ran off nine unanswered runs to win, 9–3.
Skubal could join sudden death legends
Game 5 is a career-defining game for Skubal, given his loss last season and that his team is 0–3 this year when he faces Seattle. It’s no longer about “pitching well” or “keeping my team in the game.” It’s about going all Jack Morris on Seattle. On the night Morris’s Twins won Game 6 of the 1991 World Series, Morris, the Game 7 starter, walked into the interview room and announced, “In the immortal words of the late, great Marvin Gaye, let’s get it on!” The following night, Morris put the team on his back, throwing 10 shutout innings while refusing to come out of the game.
It was an all-time double elimination pitching performance by a future Hall of Famer. In more recent years, pitching greats who have risen to greater heights in sudden death games include Justin Verlander (2012 and '13 ALDS), Madison Bumgarner ('14 NLWC and World Series, '16 NLWC) and Gerrit Cole ('19 ALDS). This is Skubal’s moment.
Skubal has allowed eight runs in 33 2/3 postseason innings for a sparkling 2.14 ERA—but he allowed five of those runs in the game that sent the Tigers home last year. / David Richard-Imagn Images
Skubal played the preamble to his statement game much differently than did Morris. He walked into the interview room after Game 4 and swatted away a question about personal redemption as if it were an annoying fly.
“I'll let you guys create the narrative,” Skubal said. “I'm just going to do what I do best, and that's play baseball and create pitches. The game is still the game. I'll let you guys write the stories and do your jobs, but you're not going to get anything from me.”
Every game, he said, presents him with an opportunity to compete at his best, no more in Game 5 than it did in the Mariners’ 3–2 win against him in Game 2.
“But the game stays the game, and that’s kind of what you’re going to hear me reiterate,” he said, “[that] is I just need to be focused on pitch by pitch and execute the game plan that we will create. So that’s all I’ve got for you.”
Skubal’s Seattle ties deepen stakes
Another delicious layer to this start is that in happens in Seattle, where a kid from Kingman, Ariz.—a small town in the northwest corner of the state better known for its turquoise lode and its kitschy status as the heart of Route 66 than as a baseball factory—took his 80-something mile per hour fastball to Seattle University, the only school to offer him a scholarship.
“Dad, I'm not going to school there,” he said to his father.
“No, you need to call them, son,” his father replied.
Said Skubal, “And I was like, ‘All right.’ I called them. I committed two weeks later. And the rest is history.”
When he pitched in Seattle in ALDS Game 2, he bought tickets for all 34 players of the Seattle University baseball team and talked to them about following their dreams.
“It’s not a fantasy,” he said. “You can actually accomplish what you put your mind to.”
No, this is not another game, not with what’s at stake and where it is. Skubal may treat it as such from his uber-competitive mind. How, he reasons, can I possibly care or try more than my very best? But the stakes are higher. The venue is more meaningful. The reputation on the line more epic.
“I think it means the world to him,” said pitching coach Chris Fetter. “Especially going back to a place where he went to school and that environment. Yeah, I think it's going to be pretty special. And you're going to see a competitive, fiery guy out there and that’s what we need. And he's going to compete his ass off.”
Said Detroit first baseman Spencer Torkelson, “I don’t have the words. My vocabulary doesn’t have the words to tell you how much this opportunity means to him. If you have one game to win, there’s nobody I’d rather have than Tarik. And if you asked most guys around baseball, not just in this clubhouse, you’d probably get the same answer.”
The Mariners are the only team to beat the Tigers three times this year in games Skubal has started. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Skubal made two mistakes in Game 2: two center-cut pitches to Jorge Polanco, who blasted both for home runs. It seems unfathomable that the Tigers could lose four games in one year to the same team with Skubal on the mound. But that is what is at stake.
“I think at the end of the day, he's going to be himself,” Fetter said. “You know, most of the time we're going to go to his strengths as opposed to trying to dissect it too much or overthinking too much. Yeah. Go out and be himself.
”And that’s where we talk about not trying to overthink. If you go execute, be yourself, at the end of the day we’re good.”
Skubal wound up at Seattle University only after other schools dropped interest in him after a poor showcase performance on a Saturday morning. They didn’t know that Skubal had played center in a football game Friday night and drove three hours to the Phoenix area the next morning to get on the mound and throw in front of coaches. His velocity dipped to an unappealing 84 mph.
Now Skubal throws a hundred. He has hit 100 mph 43 times this year. Every other lefthanded starter combined has done so eight times. His changeup is the single best pitch in baseball as determined by run value. There is nobody like him. That is not in dispute.
What is in the balance now is whether Skubal can deliver a season-saving, career-defining game. It should require Skubal pushing himself like never before.
Skubal has pitched in 142 major league games, including five in the postseason. Incredibly, he has never thrown more than 108 pitches in a game. His postseason high is 107, in wild-card Game 1 this year. In Game 2 of this series, Skubal threw 97 pitches over seven innings before indicating he was just about done. So, manager A.J. Hinch handed the ball to Kyle Finnegan for the eighth. The Mariners scored three batters later to win, 3–2.
In 1995, in Seattle, a lefthanded, soon-to-be Cy Young Award winner took the ball with his team facing elimination in his first postseason game. Randy Johnson of the Mariners threw 117 pitches over seven innings to beat the Yankees in ALDS Game 3. After one day of rest, he came out of the bullpen in Game 5 to throw three innings and another 44 pitches to win that game, too. It was legendary stuff. They still talk about it today.
Now, 30 years later in the same city, the best lefthander in the game has the ball in his hands for a winner-take-all game. To save the Tigers’ season and to lessen the pain of the last time he found himself at these coordinates, Skubal may have to give more than he’s ever given.
Having declared overnight, India completed their demolition of WI after lunch on day three
Alagappan Muthu04-Oct-20255:02
Chopra: Gulf between India, West Indies there for everyone to see
Ravindra Jadeja has been building a case to be one of the best allrounders in the game. A four-for to follow a hundred against West Indies to start the new home season was just the latest evidence he offered in favour of that argument. On the back of his 104 not out and 4 for 54, India completed an innings win with two-and-a-half days to spare.A proud record stood tall between February 22, 2013 and October 25, 2024. It buckled 24 hours later. India lost a Test series on home soil for the first time in nearly 12 years. Many of the players who had contributed to that run are now retired, including Virat Kohli, R Ashwin and Cheteshwar Pujara. But Jadeja remains.He was there when India began that run against Australia in Chennai. He was there when New Zealand broke them last year in Pune. And he was there once again, lifting them back up against West Indies now. At 36 years old, it is unclear how much cricket is left in him but it was poetic that in the first of 66 Tests that India had to play at home without R Ashwin, his old pal came up with a hundred and a four-for.ESPNcricinfo Ltd
Alick Athanaze carried the West Indies flag, showing why he is rated as a good player of spin. He picked up length well. He was decisive going forward or back. And he remembered to put pressure back, two rock-solid reverse sweeps for four and one sumptuous cover drive for three highlighted his process. All of those scoring shots were against half-volleys that were well wide of the stumps. This is the judgment and the competence that convinced the coach Daren Sammy and the management to bring him back into the Test side.India, though, kept placing new threats in front of Athanaze. Jasprit Bumrah hit him on the helmet. Washington Sundar tested him with the ball turning away. They were waiting for Athanaze to be just slightly off with his process and eventually, after 73 balls, he was, closing the face of the bat, baited by an offbreak that pitched on middle. Washington took a simple catch, which then led to a symbolic representation of West Indies’ batting in this Test.Jomel Warrican tried to impose himself on Mohammed Siraj, swinging as hard as he could, only for his bat to fly out of his grip and land at square leg. The ball meanwhile settled in mid-off’s hands.Alick Athanaze offered some resilience for West Indies•Getty Images
West Indies are a side still building its best batters. Ahead of this tour, they were shorn of two of their best bowlers. This informed the challenge they could pose. They are struggling to find a better opener than John Campbell, 32, who is the third-most experienced player in this XI. He has 23 caps and in all that time, he has no centuries. Even in first-class cricket, after 101 matches, he has only nine centuries. In Ahmedabad, he fell for 8 and 14. The only slightly younger Tagenarine Chanderpaul finished with 0 and 8. Top-order returns like that just won’t do.Jadeja is sometimes accused of being that left-arm spinner who just fires the ball in and lets the pitch do its work. But he knows how to work batters out too. He saw Brandon King lunging forward to try and smother the turn and that helped him once. He hit a crisp cover drive for four. It also led to his downfall as Jadeja recalibrated his flight. It was still full so it triggered King’s instinct to get on the front foot. But he had no way of getting to the pitch of this one. Having committed to the shot, he ended up vulnerable to the turn and presented a straightforward catch to slip. All this happened in the space of two overs. In that small period of time, Jadeja turned what the batter thought was a strength into a weakness.Siraj was the other bowler among the wickets, taking five or more over the course of a home Test for the first time.West Indies lost 10 wickets in two sessions on the first day. They did it again on the third day. Only two players got into the 30s. Only two faced 50 or more balls. They have five days to address these problems before the start of the second game in Delhi. The wait to win a Test match against India in India, which is into its 31st year, continues.
Their reaction follows reports that the BCB wants Tests to be shifted to a neutral venue
Umar Farooq23-Dec-2019With Bangladesh reportedly unsure of travelling to Pakistan to play Test cricket – though they are happy to play T20Is – the efforts to make the country a regular stop on the international circuit have hit a bit of a hurdle.Misbah-ul-Haq and Azhar Ali, speaking after Pakistan beat Sri Lanka in the second Test in Karachi to win the series 1-0 on Monday, were unequivocal in their displeasure with Bangladesh’s reported stance, with the head coach and chief selector calling it “a great injustice” and the Test captain saying “there is no excuse not to come”.”It’s very important to have this (Test cricket) going on. It will be a big disappointment for Pakistan if they (Bangladesh) do not come,” Misbah said in a press conference. “There is no excuse at this stage and making security a pretext is lame, because when international tours are happening, teams [are] coming and playing here, even you are agreeing to play T20 and refusing Test is something beyond my understanding.”I don’t see any reason. To me it’s just an excuse and nothing else. It will be a great injustice to Pakistan because already [we are] playing less Test cricket and we want more Tests on a regular basis. If this (Test series) doesn’t happen, we will be playing our next series in England after a long gap. Then we can’t blame our players – like Azhar Ali returned back in form after a long span and then again he has to wait for another four months playing nothing. He will be disadvantaged. It will again feel like a debut on the next series. Our players need to play continuous cricket.”According to the ICC future tours programme, Bangladesh are scheduled to play two Tests and three T20Is away against Pakistan in January. But, as ESPNcricinfo has reported, the BCB has asked for the Tests to be shifted to a neutral venue, a suggestion the PCB turned down immediately, questioning the rationale of the stance, coming as it did during Sri Lanka’s Test series in Rawalpindi and Karachi, which has passed without incident.According to the PCB, it sent its last correspondence to BCB last week, and there has been no response since.”I’m sure the PCB is looking at this, but I don’t understand what the reason for not visiting could be,” Azhar said. “This is the ICC World Test Championship. Lots of teams have come and gone, we’ve had several PSL matches here. The World XI side came and major current players have played here. Most special of all, the Sri Lankan team has come and played not just one, but two Test matches. If teams aren’t going to support each other here in Asia, and cricket boards in Asia don’t support each other, then where will we end up?”We play very little Test cricket anyway, and I’m sure Bangladesh don’t play many Test matches either. So we must support each other and I would urge the ICC to step in because there is no excuse not to come. Things are running so smoothly, and the crowds are coming here. Everything is running perfectly and we’ve seen quality cricket, so I don’t think there can be any excuse.”The PCB has been working actively with the ICC’s independent security consultants, and has hosted a good number of matches involving international players and teams over the past three years. The next tour of the country that has been confirmed is one by an MCC team, to be led by Kumar Sangakkara, next year, while the entire PSL will be held in Pakistan too, across four venues.The PCB has been insistent that the days of Pakistan playing their “home” matches at neutral venues are over. As to what the board plans to do if visiting teams continue to refuse touring Pakistan, PCB chairman Ehsan Mani has hinted at the possibility of taking such disputes to the ICC for resolution.
When Wolverhampton Wanderers sold Morgan Gibbs-White during the summer transfer window in 2022 for a fee that could rise to £42.5m to fellow Premier League side Nottingham Forest, it looked as though the Old Gold had gotten the better end of the deal.
Fast-forward 18 months, and it looks as though it may have been a big mistake, as the Englishman is starring for Forest.
Wolves may regret selling Morgan Gibbs-White
On the surface, receiving such an extravagant fee for a player who had made just 88 appearances for the club seemed like a no-brainer, yet the 24-year-old has gone on to impress at Forest.
In 66 appearances, Gibbs-White has scored eight goals and grabbed 12 assists, 16 more goal contributions than during his spell at Molineux.
Morgan-gibbs-white-wolves
In the Premier League this term, the Englishman currently ranks second among the squad for shots per game (1.9), along with ranking second for big chances created (six) and first for key passes per game (1.7), clearly indicating that he has been well worth the money, especially as Forest could retain their top-flight status this season.
Following the success of Gibbs-White, do Wolves currently have another talented youngster who could make waves in the Premier League?
In Luke Cundle, Gary O’Neil could well unearth his successor to the former Old Gold starlet.
Luke Cundle’s career statistics
The 21-year-old played nearly 100 games for the U18 and U21 sides at the Molineux club, registering 31 goal contributions, and he made his senior bow during the 2019/20 season.
Last season, he earned a loan move to Championship side Swansea City and performed fairly well, making 34 appearances in all competitions in what was his first full season in senior football.
Journalist Josh Bunting said that Cundle was a player who showed “real promise” when he scored against Hull City during the start of that season, and he has displayed it this term.
Luke-cundle
Another loan to the second tier, this time with Plymouth Argyle, during the opening half of the current season has given Cundle a platform to showcase his abilities, and he hasn't disappointed.
He scored five times and registered six assists in just 27 matches across all competitions and is clearly showing why he could be the next big thing after Gibbs-White, despite playing in a slightly deeper midfield role.
When compared to fellow positional peers in the men’s next 14 competitions in the previous 365 days, Cundle currently ranks in the top 10% for assists (0.25), non-penalty goals (0.18), touches in the opposition penalty area (2.54) and progressive passes received (4.96) per 90.
These statistics certainly prove that the youngster can be an efficient attacking threat from the heart of the midfield and the fact that he has played in an attacking midfield role on 40 occasions throughout his career could be another bonus for O’Neil.
If he enjoys a solid stint at Stoke City between now and May, then he could well find himself a part of the squad ahead of the 2024/25 campaign, which is something the midfielder has to aim for if he wishes to succeed.
It's been another rollercoaster of a Premier League season for Chelsea fans this year.
Mauricio Pochettino's men have looked both scintillating and disastrous at points this campaign, with some outstanding results – notably away to Manchester City – and some dreadful ones in equal measure.
However, the Blues have a chance to make it a season worth remembering on Sunday when they take on Liverpool in the League Cup Final. It's a game that will define their campaign, and they'll need their leading men firing on all cylinders, including Conor Gallagher.
Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher
The stand-in skipper is one of the few first-teamers who looks set to end the season with his stock higher than it was in August, but he might have to start looking over his shoulder in the future, as the club have a tremendously talented youngster coming through who could be gunning for his place in the XI.
Conor Gallagher this season
Gallagher's role in the team has grown tremendously this year, as while he made 45 appearances for the Blues across all competitions last season, he played just 2022 minutes of first-team football – in which he scored three goals and provided one assist.
In comparison, the 24-year-old has already played 2600 minutes of football in 2023/24 from just 33 appearances.
Conor Gallagher 2022/23 vs 2023/24
Season
2022/23
2023/24
Appearances
45
33
Minutes
2022'
2600'
Goals
3
3
Assists
1
6
Goal Involvement per 90'
0.17
0.31
All Stats via Transfermarkt
The Epsom-born dynamo's importance to the team is certainly apparent through this increase in minutes, but it is perhaps more evident in the fact that he has captained the side on 16 occasions this term, stepping in for the injured Reece James and Ben Chilwell.
He has also been more productive this term, scoring three goals, providing six assists in all competitions, and swapping back and forth between attacking and central midfield roles depending on the make-up of the rest of the team.
With how integral he has shown himself to be in Pochettino's transitioning Chelsea side, it seems farcical that he was almost sold in the summer and again in January.
Still, perhaps the reason for that is the emergence of a youth gem who's starred for the junior sides and has been out on loan this season.
Why fans should be excited about Cesare Casadei
The youngster in question is Italian midfielder Cesare Casadei, who joined the club from Inter Milan in August 2022 for a fee of around £12.6m with £4.2m of potential add-ons.
Described as an "exciting emerging talent" by Chelsea's then-head of youth development, Neil Bath, the teenager went straight into the Pensioners' U21 squad, where he scored five goals and provided one assist in just 13 appearances from central and attacking midfield.
With his impressive displays for the U21s and his record of 41 goals and eight assists in 105 games of youth football in Italy, he was sent out on loan to Reading in January 2023, where he netted once in 15 games and made an impact on the then-Royals boss Paul Ince, who said "sometimes you look and wish he was our player" in late February.
Cesare Casadei's Youth Record
Club
Inter
Chelsea
Appearances
105
13
Goals
41
5
Assists
8
1
Goal Involvements per Match
0.46
0.46
All Stats via Transfermarkt
The "remarkable" talent, as described by U23 scout Antonio Mango, was then sent on loan to Leicester City at the start of this season.
He scored three goals and provided two assists in 1111 minutes of action for the Foxes but was recalled in January to join the Blues' first team and help cover for injuries and has made two Premier League cameos since.
Ultimately, he's unlikely to get a significant amount of minutes this season.
The "outrageous" Chelsea ace who left for £0 & is now outscoring Mudryk
The quality veteran has still got it.
By
Jack Salveson Holmes
Feb 23, 2024
Still, with his impressive record at the youth level, glowing endorsements from scouts and those who have worked with him, and the fact that he plays in the same positions as Gallagher, he could well be duking it out with the Englishman for a place in the team next season.
As he closed in on the expiry of his contract in the summer, Celtic youngster Rocco Vata had seemed all set to leave Parkhead. Clubs in Italy have been showing interest, with Bologna the first to emerge as a potential suitor and then Serie B side Como FC making an approach too.
The Hoops reportedly rejected multiple bids for Vata during last summer's transfer window, but they initially gave him permission to leave this month, even though they were set to earn less than £350,000 in compensation. Now, though, there's seemingly a twist at Parkhead following developments on Wednesday.
Vata could yet stay at Celtic
According to Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph, who shared a Rocca Vata update, Celtic have now begun contract talks with the Irishman. Hoops officials have initiated discussions with the players' agency, CAA Base, in the hope of convincing him to stay in Glasgow.
Vata is "believed to be keen" on remaining with the club, but on the condition that he's shown the "right pathway" to Brendan Rodgers' first-team. It remains to be seen, then, whether the negotiations have the desired outcome.
Vata can make Celtic forget about Van Hooijdonk
It's promising for Celtic that Vata camp are at least receptive to sitting down for a fresh round of talks. The 18-year-old, who can play as a striker, winger or a number 10, has underlined his potential this season while in action for the club's b-team in the Lowlands League, scoring 12 goals in 15 appearances. He's also making waves at the international level too, having scored a double on his debut for Ireland's under-21s in September.
Last weekend, as Celtic returned to action following their winter break against Highland League side Buckie Thistle in the Scottish Cup, Rodgers handed Vata a start, perhaps a sign that progress had been made behind the scenes. The 18-year-old took his opportunity by scoring his first goal for the club in a resounding 5-0 win.
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers.
At every level, he's showing that he's an "exciting" talent (in the words of talent scout Jacek Kulig), and it feels like Celtic could end up regretting it if they lose him. As stated, Vata needs to be shown a pathway, and that could involve more opportunities in the Scottish Premiership. For all his promise, he hasn't even been named in the matchday squad for a league game this season.
It was reported in Italy that Bologna's interest in Vata could potentially smooth over a deal for their striker Sydney van Hooijdonk, with Rodgers looking to strengthen at centre-forward before the end of the window. It's theoretically possible that taking Vata off the table will scupper that move, but the hope will be that the youngster reaches such a high level in a few years' time that Van Hooijdonk is ultimately forgotten about.
While it isn't a new face and may not generate the same level of excitement, this could end up being one of the most important pieces of business Celtic conduct this month.
Kylian Mbappe buried two penalties to overcome a fine finish from Tim Weah as Real Madrid opened their Champions League campaign with a narrow 2-1 win over Marseille. It was a rather mixed night from Los Blancos, who lost Trent Alexander-Arnold to injury and saw Dani Carvajal sent off, but managed to snag a late win in their search for Champions League redemption.
Marseille grabbed their opener on the break. It was a nicely crafted move, with ex-Manchester United man Mason Greenwood feeding USMNT winger Weah, who lashed home from close range past Thibaut Courtois.
But the visitors were leaky at the back, and never seemed equipped to hold onto their lead. Madrid responded swiftly after veteran French midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia tripped Rodrygo – handed an unlikely start over Vinicius Jr – in the box. Mbappe stepped up to slam home the penalty.
Madrid had plenty of chances as the game wore on. Their goal-scorer stung the palms of the goalkeeper on a couple of occasions, and Arda Guler created problems. But Marseille, too, were dangerous on the break, as Weah forced Courtois into action here and there.
A hugely rash moment from Carvajal with less than 20 minutes to go seemed to hand the visitors the advantage. The veteran defender headbutted Geronimo Rulli after a heated exchange, and was given his marching orders once the referee had been sent to the monitor following a lengthy VAR check.
But Los Blancos, in typical Champions League fashion, found a way. They needed a stroke of luck, with Facundo Medina inadvertently handling the ball while making a tackle in the box. The referee rather harshly handed Madrid their second penalty of the night and Mbappe, inevitably, converted to snatch the three points.
GOAL rates Real Madrid's players from the Santiago Bernabeu…
AFP
Goalkeeper & Defence
Thibaut Courtois (7/10):
Made a few crucial saves to keep his team in it. Could do nothing about the goal.
Trent Alexander-Arnold (N/A):
Lasted fewer than four minutes before being removed with what seemed to be a hamstring injury.
Eder Militao (5/10):
Rather disjointed in his defending. Picked up a silly yellow and wasn't particularly clean in his distribution.
Dean Huijsen (8/10):
Composed after giving away a silly red at the weekend. Won his headers and was strong in his duels.
Alvaro Carreras (7/10):
Solid at left-back. Was effective one on one against Mason Greenwood, and gave as much as he got.
Advertisement
Getty
Midfield
Aurelien Tchouameni (7/10):
Solid at the base of midfield. Won the ball back a lot, passed well, but could really do with shuffling it forward more quickly.
Federico Valverde (7/10):
Covered plenty of ground, helped out defensively, and moved the ball effectively, too.
Arda Guler (5/10):
Tricky and dangerous in the final third. Linked up with Mbappe well and created all sorts of clever angles. But lacking defensively, asleep as he gave the ball away leading up to the Marseille goal.
Getty
Attack
Franco Mastantuono (6/10):
Full of energy, but could have been cleaner. Well denied after one nice winding run through and had a clear chance easily saved. Will be encouraged to grab another start.
Kylian Mbappe (8/10):
Created problems with his pace and dribbling ability. Scored two penalties, and could've had one or two more.
Rodrygo (7/10):
Won the first penalty, created three chances, and turned in a fine hour of work before being subbed. Not bad on the left, funnily enough.
Getty
Subs & Manager
Dani Carvajal (3/10):
Came on, played well for 70 minutes, then got sent off for a braindead headbutt.
Brahim Diaz (5/10):
A solid 30 minutes on the wing. Doesn't look entirely sharp yet.
Vinicius Jr (6/10):
Ran at his man relentlessly, sort of won the pen that sealed it. There will be more to come.
Raul Asencio (N/A):
Late cover at right-back after Carvajal was sent off.
Xabi Alonso (6/10):
What a weird night for him. Lost one right-back to injury and a second to a red, and saw his team win without playing very well. Welcome to Real Madrid in the Champions League.
Federico Chiesa joined the Liverpool Under-21s squad as the £12.5m ($16.5m) summer signing aims to build up his fitness ahead of his Anfield debut.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
Chiesa joined the Merseyside club in the summer
Working on his fitness level during the international break
Can make his debut against Forest on Sep 14
WHAT HAPPENED?
Despite interest from several top clubs, including Barcelona, Liverpool managed to secure Chiesa in a cut-price deal after he fell out of favour with Juventus. During his time in Serie A, Chiesa showed immense potential, but his career has been disrupted by a string of injuries.
Advertisement
Getty
THE BIGGER PICTURE
One of the most significant setbacks came in 2022, when a cruciate ligament tear sidelined him for nine months, limiting his minutes on the pitch with the Bianconeri. However, after a challenging few years, Chiesa is looking forward to a fresh start with Liverpool and aims to regain the form that made him one of Europe’s brightest prospects.
WHAT BARRY LEWTAS SAID
Chiesa has been focusing on an individual training programme in Liverpool during the international break so that he can be match-fit once club football resumes, shaking off any lingering injury concerns. The Italian joined the U21 squad at the AXA Training Centre on Thursday, participating in a session and his involvement received massive praise from U21s coach Barry Lewtas.
"Obviously you can see from the quality of his career so far, this is why he's at one of the best clubs in the world. His professionalism and his quality were really good," he told
"It obviously just gives our boys a little bit of a chance to play against someone of that quality [and] it's a really good learning opportunity for them. I think any time when we come around to the first-team side, which we do a lot, is always really good. It's a change of scenery but also more importantly gets us around first-team players and first-team staff, which is important for the boys."
ENJOYED THIS STORY?
Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting
GOAL
WHAT NEXT FOR CHIESA?
Chiesa’s first appearance for Liverpool could come as soon as September 14, when the Reds face Nottingham Forest at Anfield. The Kop will be eager to hand him a warm welcome with the hope that the Italian will become a key player for Arne Slot this season.